Todd Hasak-Lowy

Struggling through a year marked by his parents' divorce, his brother's departure for college and his best friend's move to another town, Darren is shattered by a revelation that compels him to visit his brother and pursue a fascinating girl. A first young adult novel. Simultaneous eBook.

Me Being Me Is Exactly as Insane as You Being You

Bria

I thought I would like this more since I'm a list maker, but it kinda fell flat for me. And it definitely didn't need the 600+ pages.

A lot of people's reviews are annoyed with Darren for being whiny and with Zoe for "not being like the other girls," but they're kids. They're teenagers who act like teenagers. Teenagers are annoying and try to be different because they're trying to discover who they are and trying to be independent. If you don't like that, don't read teen books.

Maui S.

I am extremely underwhelmed with book. Great idea though.

Through a series of lists, a narrator reveals how fifteen-year old Darren's world was rocked by his parents' divorce just as his brother, Nate, was leaving for college, and a year later when his father comes out as gay, then how he begins to deal with it all after a stolen weekend with Nate and his crush, Zoey.

Me Being Me is Exactly as Insane as You Being You

Emelie

Ella Zegarra

También en: El Extraño Gato del Cuento

Con un nombre tan largo y curioso, algo así como “Yo siendo yo es igual de loco que tú siendo tú”, era imposible no notar este libro. Solo que no me esperaba lo que leí.

¿Cómo diablos le haces para escribir una historia como ésta? Todo el bendito libro está narrado en… ¡Listas! Primero pensé que era una especie de introducción, solo que las páginas avanzaban y las listas continuaban y continuaban. Listas como “3 Palabras que dije antes de la noticia” o “10 Cosas que probablemente estaría pensando” o “2 Escenarios en los que me imagino”, cosas así, algunas bastante graciosas la verdad. Definitivamente Me Being Me Is Exactly as Insane as You Being You se lleva un montón de puntos por su estilo narrativo, Todd Hasak-Lowy ha abierto un nuevo mundo para mí, ya nada será lo mismo. 

La historia es bastante buena también, cada vez hay más y más libros LGTB publicados, lo cual se agradece muchísimo, nos ayuda a entender y aceptar al mundo. Pero ¿qué pasa si en el desayuno tu padre te dice que es gay? Por muy maduro que seas, por más que estés de acuerdo que ser homosexual es la cosa más natural de la vida, de qué es shock, es shock. Darren Jacobs, mientras intenta digerir la dona que se acaba de comer, intenta digerir también la pequeña noticia que su, hasta entonces, bastante heterosexual y recién divorciado padre, le suelta. Más las otras bombas que su familia le va soltando durante el año.

Darren Jacobs es un chico de 15 años con la mente bastante curiosa y un poquito subido de peso, idolatra a su hermano mayor, tiene el mismo problema que yo cuando estaba en el colegio, es un año mejor que todos en su clase por lo que se siente en desbalance de vez cuando, preguntándose que quizá estaría mejor con la clase que sí tiene su edad. Y encima de todo, no es la persona más sociable exactamente. Tuve dejavus hasta por la puras, kitten.

Me Being Me Is Exactly as Insane as You Being You es el ejemplo extendido de la frase “Estoy bien”, ese momento en el que quisieras gritar, patear, golpear, reclamar, llorar un poco pero sabes sería injusto y egoísta para la persona que te lo pregunta, por lo que pones buena cara, sonríes, dices estar bien y que sigan contando sus problemas, mientras vas acumulando poco a poco toda la presión, porque de verdad quieres ser una buena persona, quieres estar ahí para apoyar y aconsejar a las personas que quieres y te necesitan. El problema viene cuando explotas.

Otro de los detalles que me gustó de Me Being Me Is Exactly as Insane as You Being You es que no idealiza los problemas mentales, algo que pudo ser bastante fácil, pero Todd Hasak-Lowy nos trae el lado duro, la decisión drástica que a veces se deben tomar para cuidar de las personas que queremos.

Lo único negativo que le encontré al libro es que tienen una cantidad importante de marihuana, no es ningún tipo de apología a este planta pero sí es mencionado más de un par de veces.

Entonces, kitten, ¿Qué tan loco es que nosotros seamos nosotros?

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Ann-Katrin

I had to read this for a seminar… let’s just say every time I see it on my bookshelf, I have to roll my eyes. While the idea to write a book entirely in lists sounds nice and got me excited at first, it was poorly done. You’ll be over it after 15 pages (if not sooner). There’s just so much useless and boring information-like sooo much! 
It is hard to read a book if you don’t like the plot but manageable if you like the characters or vice versa, but this book had neither. No good plot and an unlikable main character. I get that Darren is 15 and not perfect, that he’s learning and dealing with a lot of things… I get that, but there’s a difference between that and being a horrible person. He’s nothing but judgemental, terrible in dealing with girls and how he views them and also there is no character arc, no improvement, whatsoever. He even ends the book with the most selfish and unreflective decision. And if that’s not enough (or let’s say the most unsettling thing about this book is) how he deals with his dad being gay. It’s just not acceptable. I get that this is hard, but some thought he had about that we’re just not okay and hard to read.
Don’t read the book. It is a waste of time and a waste of money that doesn’t give you anything back. It just makes you very angry, especially when you see it on your bookshelf.

Shannon Jade

My review can be found here https://www.instagram.com/p/BCB32I3wf...

Ana Hein

Kiera McQueen

Ramona Crumlish

Nikita Willemsen

Victoria Grace

Ana Ignat

Kristian Porter

A heartfelt, humorous story of a teen boy’s impulsive road trip after the shock of his lifetime—told entirely in lists! Darren hasn’t had an easy year. There was his parents’ divorce, which just so happened to come at the same time his older brother Nate left for college and his longtime best friend moved away. And of course there’s the whole not having a girlfriend thing. Then one Thursday morning Darren’s dad shows up at his house at 6 a.m. with a glazed chocolate doughnut and a revelation that turns Darren’s world inside out. In full freakout mode, Darren, in a totally un-Darren move, ditches school to go visit Nate. Barely twenty-four hours at Nate’s school makes everything much better or much worse—Darren has no idea. It might somehow be both. All he knows for sure is that in addition to trying to figure out why none of his family members are who they used to be, he’s now obsessed with a strangely amazing girl who showed up out of nowhere but then totally disappeared. Told entirely in lists, Todd Hasak-Lowy’s debut YA novel perfectly captures why having anything to do with anyone, including yourself, is: 1. painful 2. unavoidable 3. ridiculously complicated 4. possibly, hopefully the right thing after all.

Me Being Me Is Exactly as Insane as You Being You

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