Rating: 
Summary: Left wanting more
Review: While I found the book to be entertaining, I was left wanting more. The fast pace switch between characters was alright in the beginning, but as he began to add more and more characters, it became a pain trying to remember who was who, all while trying to divulge the underlying plot. The plot to this story is hard to make out. It's just a series of events, some of which are irrelevent, that don't fully explain the ending. The ending came completely out of the blue. While I do believe that Nick McDonell has great potential especially for his age, I don't believe that Twelve was the best that he could have done.
Rating: 
Summary: A stunning portrayal of the lost youth of America
Review: Nick has created a wonderfully addictive new style of writing that makes it terribly hard to put the book down even after you've read it. I am an 18 year old writer and as such I read a lot. This is one of the best books I've read in quite sometime. He is a wonderful writer and a brilliant philosopher.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book!!!
Review: This book was very entertaining and an easy read. I am not an avid reader but i read this book in a couple hours. I thought the different characters in the book went well together and the overall message was great. I would recommend it to everyone. I am sad that it was only 250 pages, i wanted more by the end.
Rating: 
Summary: waste of time and money
Review: having experienced the NY milieu that mcdonell describes in this novel (i'm 19 and an east coast college student), i can tell that he's way off. this book is silly. it's funny how half the good reviews i read on the page below are from teenagers who say things like, 'I know there are people whose lives are like this!' and 'Although I've never experienced the lifestyle the book describes, it's very realistic!' Well, it isn;t. It's made up to disguise a lack of imagination and talent on the author's part. oh, and the writing is terrible.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books about teenage life ever.
Review: Hi, I am a 16 year old male and I just want to say that this is the best book I have ever read about teenage life. It was shocking how accurately some of the characters in Twelve match up with people in my own life. It is a must-read for teenagers but I can see how adults may find it upsetting to read.
Rating:
Summary: Bright hype big ...
Review: I too fell for the hype, and even enjoyed the excerpt in the Paris Review, but unfortunately this book epitomizes the notion of overpromise / underdeliver. Some good character ideas, expecially White Mike, but nothing of substance is done with them. The book is written with the subtlety of a bull in a china shop, with none of the many potentials used to any worthwhile measure. While looking for books about adolescent adventures, I tried this, and the next on my list was Trinity Fields, the first two pages of which have thankfully washed Twelve from my memory with its brilliance. Skip this one, and hope that McDonell spends more time developing his inevitable follow-up.
Rating:
Summary: Good Shiz-nit
Review: this book is good. It is shocking, at first, but then, I realize how un-farfeatched it really is. I know there are people at my highschool doing this type of thing. The way McDonell writes is captivating and pokes fun at all the "like you know-ers." His characters are shallow but that allows you to think for yourself and fill in the blanks. Read it and be shocked, saddened, and laugh. This book is cool. P.S. Timmy and Mark Rothko Rock my Socks
Rating: 
Summary: It's not bad...
Review: But it's not good. Perhaps somewhere in between? Possibly. The writing was on point and so was the dialogue. However, everything else fell flat, especially the ending. The book is either misleading or poorly written because it leads you to believe that it is about White Mike and his issues when in actuality it is about a whole bunch of kids. The author wasted his time getting into the minds of unimportant characters such as Molly. And spent too little time crafting his master characters(supposedly White Mike). Another annoyance I had with the book was the rushed storyline and lack of information. For example, why was the main character named White Mike, apart from it being based on an actual person?
And what was the significance of the bum shouting: "I'm Stronger! I'm Stronger!"? Unlike many of these amazon.com critics, I am not A-T-T-A-C-K-I-N-G the author, but rather offering him some tips on what NOT to do on his next novel. Not that I am an expert, but I am an aspiring novelist, who is ironically giving advice to someone who is already published! I would have given this book three stars, but the ending was completely unnecessary and didn't seem to be well thought out. There was a climax indeed, but nothing really tied together therefore the climax fell flat. The result? A novel that had great potential, but just didn't cut it. Nick McDonell, if you by chance read this review then let me be one of the first to say, congratulations on your first novel and I am looking forward to seeing more of your work in the future. Peace, Mic-12
Rating:
Summary: Twelve...
Review: Twelve, by Nick McDonell, was simply put, amazing. I think that in all the hype surrounding this authors work is worth it, however, maybe some of the humor of the tale, and "realness" is lost on some critics. As a recent graduate from high school, the dry delivery of the images provoked a real, if not slightly frightening, view of life as a teenager in the Upper East side. I found myself laughing at things which may disturb older or younger readers. Perhaps the use as sexual favors as collateral and house funds for the purchasing of drugs was too much for some, however, it only added the enjoyment of the novel for me. Read "Twelve" and keep in mind not only the abrasive reality that McDonell depicts, but also the situational humor he presents the reader.
Rating:
Summary: It's amusing how...
Review: ...of the reviews that are posted for this book, most of the positive ones are from teens who say "I loved it! It was wonderful! I couldnt put it down!" and never discuss the merits of the book, while people who hated it tend to get down to details, like the horrible sentence structure, poor plot construction, tendency of the characters to blend into each other and be indistinguishable, and pathetic mimicry of Bret Easton Ellis. Oh yeah, and the utterly ridiculous ending. There is not an ounce of originality in this book. Save your money--don't support bad writing OR nepotism. (Or necrophilia for that matter, but that's a story for another day.)
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