Matthew Quick

Every Exquisite Thing

Nanette O'Hare is an unassuming teen who has played the role of dutiful daughter, hardworking student, and star athlete for as long as she can remember. But when a beloved teacher gives her his worn copy of The Bugglegum Reaper--a mysterious, out-of-print cult classic--the rebel within Nanette awakens. As she befriends the reclusive author, falls in love with a young but troubled poet, and attempts to insert her true self into the world with wild abandon, Nanette learns the hard way that rebellion sometimes comes at a high price. A celebration of the self and the formidable power of story, Every Exquisite Thing is Matthew Quick at his finest.

Maureen

Too beautiful for words. 4 stars because it wasn’t the ending I’d hoped it to be. 

A MUST READ FOR ALL!

I first read this when I was 17 and I think my life was suddenly divided into a 'before' and 'after.' I think, much like Nanette, my life was thrown into a spiral after reading what would become their favorite book. It wasn’t as dramatic as Nanette’s, but still as dramatic as any teenager’s would have been. So many things about this book stayed with me and was so integrated into my psyche that I forgot that it was this book that introduced certain ideas to me.

And now, I reread this at 24—ironically at first, because I was suddenly interested in whether or not this book that I had hailed as my favorite ever since then yet never reread still held up by today’s standards. Long story short, I find myself thoroughly surprised at how much I still identify and yet feel somewhat disconnected with this story.

Reading it now, it is a coming-of-age story about a rich, privileged white girl—something the story itself is aware and makes a point to point out. It is as far as from me as possible and yet—I see myself in the pages. Or maybe, I saw my 17-year old self. And I realized that some of that 17 year old is still in present me, too.

It’s a beautiful, winding, tragic, selfish story that has felt so personal to me for so long, and it still does. So much so that I find myself unwilling (but also unable, really) to articulate how much it means to me. It feels like something I ought to keep to myself. Something that’s just for me, and for me alone to reflect on.

But right now, as it had seven years ago, I find myself reflecting. I try to look at the path I walked from my first read at 17 and now at 24. What and how much has changed? Are they for the better? Are there things I wish I kept with me from when I was 17? Some things I wish I let go? Have I been “thrusting my true, authentic self to the world with wild abandon”? Or did I assimilate? Does doing one or the other matter to me now as much as it did/might have before?

How do I feel about where I am right now?

I don’t have beaches or lakes anywhere near me that I can escape to. But as I ponder these questions, my thoughts ebb and flow and crash into much like floating in the sea would, and that would have to do.

(p.s. I can’t believe I haven’t thought about it before, but I’d like a tattoo of Unproductive Ted on me somewhere. I’ll think about that question, too.)

Gael Magno

I first read this when I was 17 and I think my life was suddenly divided into a 'before' and 'after.' I think, much like Nanette, my life was thrown into a spiral after reading what would become their favorite book. It wasn’t as dramatic as Nanette’s, but still as dramatic as any teenager’s would have been. So many things about this book stayed with me and was so integrated into my psyche that I forgot that it was this book that introduced certain ideas to me.

And now, I reread this at 24—ironically at first, because I was suddenly interested in whether or not this book that I had hailed as my favorite ever since then yet never reread still held up by today’s standards. Long story short, I find myself thoroughly surprised at how much I still identify and yet feel somewhat disconnected with this story.

Reading it now, it is a coming-of-age story about a rich, privileged white girl—something the story itself is aware and makes a point to point out. It is as far as from me as possible and yet—I see myself in the pages. Or maybe, I saw my 17-year old self. And I realized that some of that 17 year old is still in present me, too.

It’s a beautiful, winding, tragic, selfish story that has felt so personal to me for so long, and it still does. So much so that I find myself unwilling (but also unable, really) to articulate how much it means to me. It feels like something I ought to keep to myself. Something that’s just for me, and for me alone to reflect on.

But right now, as it had seven years ago, I find myself reflecting. I try to look at the path I walked from my first read at 17 and now at 24. What and how much has changed? Are they for the better? Are there things I wish I kept with me from when I was 17? Some things I wish I let go? Have I been “thrusting my true, authentic self to the world with wild abandon”? Or did I assimilate? Does doing one or the other matter to me now as much as it did/might have before?

How do I feel about where I am right now?

I don’t have beaches or lakes anywhere near me that I can escape to. But as I ponder these questions, my thoughts ebb and flow and crash into much like floating in the sea would, and that would have to do.

(p.s. I can’t believe I haven’t thought about it before, but I’d like a tattoo of Unproductive Ted on me somewhere. I’ll think about that question, too.)

A special book as it was a gift from a friend

Farah Azmani

Melissa Palmer

Book #17 Read in 2016
Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick (YA)

Nanette is a soccer star but it doesn't make her happy. Talking to her English Teacher about books and reading make her happy. Her English Teacher shares his favorite novel from his teenage years with Nanette and then gets her in contact with the author, who is local. Nanette meets the author and they bond. Then she meets Alex, another teenage fan of the book and they become a couple. But the happiness is short lived and both Nanette and Alex have serious issues to deal with, with varying degrees of success. A raw and real read, I enjoyed it. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.

Dale Neriz

i don't care about anything else– this book is what made me start reading paperbacks AND IT WILL ALWAYS HAVE A SPECIAL SPACE IN MY HEART <3 i badly want to read 'the bubblegum reaper' tbh

From Matthew Quick, bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook, comes a heartfelt, unconventional and moving novel for readers who love John Green and Annabel Pitcher. Nanette O'Hare is an unassuming teen who has played the role of dutiful daughter, hard-working student, and star athlete for as long as she can remember. But when a beloved teacher gives her his worn copy of The Bubblegum Reaper - the mysterious, out-of-print cult-classic - the rebel within Nanette awakens. As she befriends the reclusive author, falls in love with a young but troubled poet, and attempts to insert her true self into the world with wild abandon, Nanette learns the hard way that sometimes rebellion comes at a high price. A celebration of the self and the formidable power of story, Every Exquisite Thing is Matthew Quick at his finest.

Becky

I need time to put my thoughts into words with this one.

Jen Estrella

And then one day you will look for you in the mirror and you’ll no longer be able to identify yourself—you’ll only see everyone else. You’ll know that you did what they wanted you to do. You will have assimilated. And you will hate yourself for it, because it will be too late.

- ^THAT QUOTE. THAT QUOOOOTE. *cries*
- I am liking Matthew Quick's writing more and more.
- This is one of those books you just really need to read whether you feel different, strange, or maybe in the midst of finding yourself
- Quick really knows how to pull emotional and psychological punches without sounding overly dramatic
- I can see myself in Nanette's shoes (or maybe that was me 5 years ago). How nostalgic. 
- I need more of Matthew Quick's books.

Patty M.

"There is a price to pay for pushing beyond everyone else's answers, and what I'm finding out is that I'm more than willing to pay it."

I completely devoured this book in less than 24 hours. It was breathtaking, thought-provoking, deeply meaningful, and simply beautiful. Nanette is a protagonist that will stay with me for a long time. Her emotional journey was impactful and relatable, especially to those who have felt like they have never fit in anywhere. Matthew Quick has penned a moving and memorable novel that everyone should pick up. From the character development that gracefully arcs over the novel's entirety to the seamless weaving of metaphors and themes, this book is truly an exquisite thing.

From Matthew Quick, bestselling author of THE SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, comes EVERY EXQUISITE THING, a quirky and deeply moving novel about a teen's journey through love, rebellion and belonging. For readers who love John Green and Rainbow Rowell. 'Books like Quick's are necessary' New York Times Nanette O'Hare is an unassuming teen who has played the role of dutiful daughter, hard-working student, and star athlete for as long as she can remember. But when a beloved teacher gives her his worn copy of The Bubblegum Reaper - the mysterious, out-of-print cult-classic - the rebel within Nanette awakens. As she befriends the reclusive author, falls in love with a young but troubled poet, and attempts to insert her true self into the world with wild abandon, Nanette learns the hard way that sometimes rebellion comes at a high price. A celebration of the self and the formidable power of story, Every Exquisite Thing is Matthew Quick at his finest.

Betty

It isn't a bad book. I just personally didn't enjoy it. I hated how it ended and how this character I connected with at the beginning became I character I didn't care for by the end. It's a misfit story at its finest, following a golden children through her rebelling against her own life. The end was very bleak and open and it didn't answer many questions I had and it leaves you feeling almost numb and concerned for this fictional individual.

Galaxia

this book has all the makings of an indie teen movie for misunderstood art students. an unstable narrator, the recurring motif of charles bukowski, a philosophical theme. it is increasingly ironic that the novel in this novel, the bubblegum reaper, was the catalyst for nanette and alex's rebellion and this physical novel is a catalyst for my existential crisis. a little dramatic, perhaps. but through reading this, through experiencing nanette's extreme high and then extreme low and then the floating numbness of self-imposed disassociation, i have realized a number of things about society and idolization and relationships. i identify with nanette's exhaustion with trying to be someone she thinks she is and i wonder if i will ever stray far enough from the herd that i turn into alex.

Laura

I did not like this book very much. In fact, this is my second Matthew Quick book that I really didn’t like, which made me think that perhaps Matthew Quick is just not for me. I don’t know, maybe I’d love Silver Linings Playbook, and maybe his YA stuff just sucks, but I can’t hope on the Quick bandwagon because I find his books so whiny and self-indulgent and the characters so insufferable. It’s obvious that Quick is trying desperately to be JD Salinger, and I like some of Salinger’s work (didn’t really like Catcher in the Rye- Holden annoyed me too much- but loved his short stories, including A Girl I Knew, which is actually one of my favorite short stories of all time). I didn’t hate Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock as much as I hated this book. Seriously, Nanette was awful, her love interest was awful, the only character that was even a little bit bearable was the author himself. Nanette was just one of the most self-centered horrible main characters I’ve ever come across, and the thing that makes her absolutely unbearable to me is that she so clearly thinks she’s above everyone else. She reminded me a bit of Raskolnikov, in that sense, but Raskolnikov has more of a moral backing than she does. Yes, a man who killed two helpless women seemed like a better person than Nanette because he actually started to redeem himself by the end. She was just as horrible at the end as she was in the beginning of the book. And she had a good life- upper middle class parents, extracurriculars, a friend group, a potential best friend, a potential boyfriend and she chose to throw that all away. And don’t even get me started on the love interest. I can only take so much bad poetry and whatever else he had going on and honestly didn’t shed one tear when he died. The subplot about finding the author’s lost love didn’t really interest me, and a lot of the author bits were trying so desperately hard to channel John Green’s author in The Fault in Our Stars (hated that book by the way)- although this author was a better person than Peter van Houten was, still I admit that van Houten was the best character in that book. I also have to give a quick shout out to the cringe-worthy scene where Nanette loses her virginity, since there was way more blood then there probably should have been. But overall, the only things I really liked about this book were as follows: the references to Charles Bukowski, who is one of my favorite poets (even if most of the people reading this book are probably going to write him off as a poet for pretentious teens), the title Every Exquisite Thing, and the Oscar Wilde quote it came from. Other than that, this book was the most pretentious book I read all year and the only book whose characters I couldn’t stand. The only reason why it isn’t one star is because of the Buk, really. 

Read more like this review on my blog, http://www.bookwormbasics.blogspot.com

Every Exquisite Thing

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