#blake nelson

[mulhollanddriver]

rebel

Paranoid Park - Gus Van Sant (2007)

[lgmk]

7/10

[432867]

[susanecolasanti]

When your books are kicking it with your favorite author's books and you've only been waiting since 1994 for this to happen.

[teenageread]

Review: Destroy All Cars

Initial Thoughts:

This novel is delightful and hilarious if you get past Blake Nelson's sharp and witty writing. The novel is taken from the first-person perspective of James Hoff, a teenager who is against consumer America. Destroy All Cars, titled after James’s AP English class essay on how to save the environment we need to eliminate all cars, James is forced to live his hippy lifestyle in suburban America with peers who do not get it. Now I do not know why James got into AP English. If this is the best writing he can do, I do not believe he will be able to pass the course. I do believe he has good ideas about the environment, and as a fellow environmentalist, I do understand where James is coming from. However, purposely cutting holes into your shirt, and complaining about CONSUMER AMERICA (always in all caps), without actually trying to educate your peers is where I think James went wrong. This is why Nelson introduces Sadie, our activist girlie who James loves but also does not think she’s actually making a difference. This comparison of James knowing what's wrong but does not try to help, vs. Sadie who does not see the full picture but is still willing to try, made for an interesting dynamic, plus threw in a past relationship to add some drama. Unfortunately, this novel has a lot of whine and very little plot, This novel is very teenager that my mid-twenties could not handle, as I found James and Sadie to take themselves too seriously despite the fact that their doing low-scale good community work, and treating it like their at the white house. 

Characters:

James Hoff, a junior in high school and a hater of all things America. Sure he lives in society, has friends, goes to school, and consumes, but James hates it. Refusing to get a car or think about college, James writes mediocre essays in AP English, telling Mr. Cogwiller all the things going wrong in the world, and how there is nothing they can do. Pessimistic and a realist, I think James is the kind of person you either like or hate. He is whiny, he does think he's better than his peers and is content with watching the world burn and not doing anything about it. Thus I love how Nelson gave us Sadie and tied her to James for being his ex-girlfriend, and something James cares about. Sadie is a do-gooder, she tries her best, is involved in everything, and believes that she can make a difference. Both are strong characters who are self-assured in their abilities to do something (Sadie) or do nothing (James). They are well-developed enough characters, in the sense that Nelson wrote them as true teenagers - self-absorbed, no real idea of consequences, and kind of just going through life. Sadie wanting to feel her “freedom”, and James feeling like “no one understands him”, and more classic teenage ideologically that after a time does get boring. 

Plot and Writing:

The plot in this novel is not consistent, as there is really nothing going on, no big event, not one conversation that gives this novel its climax. Nelson truly just gave readers a glimpse into James’s life, and what he is going through in middle America. Divided into six parts, what I absolutely love is how fast-paced Nelson kept the novel with barely a page per chapter. Starting from January with the first essay on destroying all cars, Nelson takes readers into early June with James, with each day almost being like a diary entry from James as he just seems to talk to the readers about life, thoughts, and his conflicted feelings towards Sadie. Not that I would call this novel a romance, but that is a part of the plot, same with how James is an environmentalist, and this novel, I think, is just a realistic take on society in a pessimistic way.   

Conclusion: 

This novel is really about a teenager with no real plot. We have emo boy James Hoff who hates consumer America despite being part of it, wants to love Sadie but does not know how, and all in all just trying to survive and pass AP English. With its short chapters, I would recommend this novel, but not for readers to take it seriously and to just enjoy this silly ride. 

[westeroswisdom]

The US State of New Jersey depicted Westeros style. Illustration by Blake Nelson.

If you have never been to “New Jerseos” and are curious about all the various references, please visit NJ Advance Media for a list of explanations and where you can also see this map in color and order a copy to display on your wall.

George R.R. Martin grew up in New Jersey. So his personal geography may have had a subtle effect on his writings. 🗺

[jewishpubliclibrary]

[susanecolasanti]

The inimitable Blake Nelson dazzles yet again with PHOEBE WILL DESTROY YOU, out today! This book is so. freaking. GOOD. Get your summer reading on with this perfect beach read...and some throwback GIRL feels while enjoying a delicious iced coffee. 🎉📚🎈