Rating: 
Summary: Little Revealed, Wretched Plotting
Review: I bought this book hoping to get a view of how people in design look at their craft and was disappointed. There isn't much I didn't already know or intuit. The sparse insights were not worth going through the absolutely preposterous plot machinations and the tiresome banter of the characters. Besides the numerous anachronisms, I knew tons of pretentious, edgy undergrads and these characters don't ring true. Forget it. I can't believe people are crowing about this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Wow
Review: This book is a great read; I couldn't put it down. Not only is it funny and entertaining, but it has substance. It's a crazy story with colorful characters and an interesting plot. I would recommend it to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: As an avid reader, I must admit I broke a cardinal rules, I judged a book by its cover. This is one of the best looking books I've ever seen, but its sweet and gooey center is even better. This book did for me what "Catcher in the Rye" did for so many others(no, I'm not talking about assasssination here). After finishing I wanted to flip to the begining and start again. It's just that good. As despicable as she was, I think I've fall in love with Himillsy. Chip Kidd is doing amazing things with book design, it's almost infuriating that he's this good at writing as well.
Rating:
Summary: Plot as Design
Review: I really enjoyed this. Not only is it an entertaining book but a wonderful "thing" to own as well. Bridging the gap between the narrative and the package is the structure of the novel, it is design itself - the author masterfully applies his craft of Graphic Design to writing a book (read the last page again!). And does it so that it is transparent if the reader doesn't want to look for it. Clever beyond belief! Not only is this a great read, it's also one of those books that holds the power to change the way you view the world, if only a little. I guess that sounds trite to some of you, but the book really does hold a kind of power I can't explain any other way. Just read it! = )
Rating: 
Summary: No doorway to graphic designer's thought
Review: I picked up the book hoping to learn about graphic designer's thought processes and techniques but was sorely disappointed. The novel contains nothing very insightful that anyone that has had a lit or art history class wouldn't sense ahead of time.Worse, beyond the critiques, the plot is largely dull, predictable, and pretty much preposterous. The affectation, which is supposed to be satiric, gets tiresome. The settings are often cartoonish so I'd say that Kidd's powers of observation are limited to visual items and consequently the novel isn't much of a sendup of academia/state schools.
Rating: 
Summary: Gotta love those Cheese Monkeys.....
Review: Like many others have said, what happened around PAGE 200 (major plot twist)??? In all seriousness, Kidd has done an impressive job bringing to life the adventures and uncertainties of being a Freshman Graphic Design student. Even readers with absolutely no interest in the field will surely be able to appreciate this book for its razor-sharp wit, quirky characters, and impressive sense of tension. The main character is a joy to follow. He's Holden Caulfield'esque without the overdone self-loathing and self-destructive tendencies. He has a tidbit of angst but mostly uncertainty in the workings of life in general; he's a normal kid living away from home for the first time and enjoying the highs and lows of the college experience, and coming into his own...not to mention, dealing with some unorthodox friends and professors along the way. I would certainly recommend this book to friends from any age group and background, because it's laugh-out-loud funny with just the right amount of drama thrown in to make it feel substantial and make a statement. I can only hope that Chip Kidd will write more in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully well-written
Review: Chip Kidd is known primarily as a book designer...well, one of the world's best book designers. His covers are renowned across the book world. Now, in his first novel, he has shown us that he can write. Setting aside the fact that the interior design of The Cheese Monkeys is, itself, beautifully conceived, the book stands out. Borrowing from the uncertainties of Holden Caulfield, our main character is trying to find his way while studying "art" in university...not because he likes it, but because he doesn't. This ironic twist sets the stage for his self-discovery at school and the development of his artistic vision. The descriptions of the beginnings of the study of graphic design are interesting, if overblown, and the characters are likeable, but flawed. Chip Kidd has written a funny, endearing and instantly likeable novel about art and life. An excellent pick for the urban arts set.
Rating:
Summary: Style 5, Story 2
Review: For most of this book, I would have given it six stars; it was that good. Then, 'round about two-thirds (three-quarters?) of the way through (the drunken Sorbeck scene, to be precise), it became--without warning or justification--a whole 'nother book. What happened?? Did Kidd run out of steam and ask someone else to finish the book? It seemed as if the ending of a different (bad) book had been grafted onto a very promising beginning. Despite my visceral disappointment in the story, there's no denying that Kidd is an incredibly talented designer and writer. His imagery and phrasing is dazzling. For instance, describing Sorbeck lighting up a pipe, he says "Its invisible custard smoke took a stroll through the room." Likewise, the book design is a delight (even though, personally, I would have preferred that the majority had been set in Apollo than Bodoni, rather than vice versa). All in all, it's a book worth reading for its imagery, phrasing, and design; stop reading at page 200, and the story is a wonder, too.
Rating:
Summary: inspired.
Review: how do i begin? this book is amazing. i read it in 2 days on a very busy schedule. i made time for it. i couldn't put it down. i am an architecture student. graphic design fascinates me and it is something i always think about. and now i can't stop thinking about this book. i hope chip kidd reads this review. it is something i have been thirsty for.
Rating:
Summary: Good Is Dead.
Review: Very enjoyable read. Great style, literally and in terms of book design. You'll never see a book that *looks* like this one. And once you pick it up, I guarantee you'll have it done in two days. If you're in college or into art or communications at all, definitely read this. I gained a new respect for graphic art from this book. And I actually felt like I learned something reading it, which I can't say about most books.
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