Rating: 
Summary: A great first novel
Review: Ignore the literary critics bashing of this book. Its a entertaining, quick read and well worth it. I think this kid has a lot of potential and I'm looking forward to his next book.Twelve lacks the pretentiousness of the books its compared to-Less than Zero, etc...
Rating: 
Summary: My Opinion
Review: Wow. Mr. Nick can describe a girl in too-tight jeans, a black northface shell and a prada bag on the prowl for drugs. That, sorry to say it, is the extent of his talent. :( But cheers for standing out in the cold and observing! Thus, Mr. Nick, and the "fictional" world he has "created", is merely another fine example of an exaggeration of the tales from the city lifestyle for teens. His knowledge obviously comes from story upon rumor upon and upon (etc), for if he were really "in the know" he would never have written such a tale published by his GRANDFATHER. This book is the "coming of age" equivalent of last week's People magazine. From a girl who has been there, but oh-so-sadly missed the bloodbath ending, I recommend you wait for the next magazine article (like last fall's "W") that claims to have the inner "scoop"- atleast that will have pictures.
Rating: 
Summary: The book maybe a clone of others, but the kid can write.
Review: I know "Twelve" may resemble may other books, most notably "Less Than Zero" and "Bright Lights Big City." But does that really matter? No. It is still a very good book with believable, if maybe a bit stereptypical (Hey, the kid is 18. Everything was slightly stereotyped when I was that age. You haven't had a chance to experience life yet.) I won't rehash the plot, you can get it from the above editorial reviews, but I will say that the story is an interesting mix of teenage angst and a slice-of-life shot of the social activities of today's high school age youth. Recommended
Rating:
Summary: Twelve is a Ten
Review: This young author, using a very innovative approach, has written an awesome book. I loved the style. This is a storyteller! You Go, dude!
Rating:
Summary: Book lovers, we have a problem here...
Review: Because of the hype of this book, I decided to check it out for myself. I'm not sure why the 3, 4, and 5 star comments are so glowing. And it's beyond me why the "people who know" wrote such extraordinary things about an insipid, simplistic, bland book. Most favorable reviews seem to gush over McDonell's youth as a writer as if that cures and excuses any novel writing mistakes like his flat, underdeveloped one-dimensional characters who readers could never get excited about. The structure seems to have developed from a high school creative-writing-course: name the character, describe the character (hair, eyes, body, a mannerism or two), tell us (and I do mean tell tell tell us) what the character is doing. (Try this: page through the novel and see how many chapters and paragraphs begin with the name of the character. That is lack of imagination and uncertainty as to how to start off a scene, somewhat common for first time, beginning writers. By using the name, it helps the beginner focus on the outline structure: this character, then this character, then this character....) There is no interaction between characters; for example, we go to a party scene and McDonell tells tell tells us what's going on...here's a thought: let the characters perform the action at the party; let the characters interact. And I like the reviewers here who get upset about someone giving the ending away...well, I won't--but McDonell does around page 13 or 14. The ending is trite, cliche, and amateurish. This novel is a good rough draft. With some work and revisions it may begin to become the work that the glowing reviewers claim it is...but not yet. Finally, what really scares me about too many of the reviews (including the ones from our "famous" reviewers) is that if they think this novel is such a great read, what does that say about the intelligence, depth, and critical reading skills of American readers today? More pabulum please.
Rating: 
Summary: So?
Review: Don't give me any [stuff] about this kid being only seventeen when he wrote it. I read a lot of stuff by young writers, especially online. And while the lion's share (maybe two) of that is utter dreck, there are many teenagers out there who prove that age is certainly not a handicap to mature writing. Mr. McDonell is not one of them. His writing is neither the most obtuse nor the most interesting. There is no texture to it, nothing to make you double back and read a sentence over, nothing that would have you lay the book down and think. While he avoids most of the amateurish mistakes and trite phrasings that even distinguished law professors have trouble getting around, that's hardly something to recommend the author by. "Twelve" zips by quite fast, which most reviewers mistakenly refer to as a virtue. The anorexic attention-span of America strikes again: the book is completely skewed by the author's cocaine-rush pacing. (A post-modern stylistic touch perhaps? No, just an unskilled writer.) The story has been done elsewhere, which isn't much of a fault; and done better, which is. It finishes up with a cheap bloodbath ending which conveniently relieves Mr. McDonell of his responsibility to the numerous characters and storylines he apparently didn't want to bother with anymore. Two stars, instead of the one I originally intended to give. I consider it a literary feat to populate a novel of several hundred pages with the same character, repeated dozens of times. You might think that, statistically speaking, the author would accidentally hit upon a unique, sharply drawn face, but no.
Rating:
Summary: Two thumbs up!
Review: Twelve was an amazing book. The best I've read in a long time. I was so suprised that someone my age wrote such a fantastic novel. The way Nick constructed the book is very interesting. I recommend this book to everyone, espically those im my generation. I am excited to read another one of Nick's stoies.
Rating:
Summary: At least the spelling is okay
Review: Is there a plot? I must have missed it. The writing isn't too bad, but unfortunately, there's no story.
Rating:
Summary: I'D GIVE IT 6 OR 7EVEN STARS IF I COULD
Review: NOW THIS IS WHAT NOVEL-MAKING IS ABOUT! I PICKED THIS UP AFTER SEEING IGBY GOES DOWN AND I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN. "RIVETTED" BARELY DESCRIBES THE MANNER IN WHICH I WAS STUCK IN MY OVER-STUFFED READING CHAIR WHEN I WAS READING THIS BOOK, TWELVE: A NOVEL. IT IS VERY GOOD. YOU WILL LIKE IT IF YOU LIKE READING ABOUT SEX, DRUGS, AND AFFLUENCE. EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM NICK MCDONELL.
Rating:
Summary: prep school fantasy
Review: TWELVE isn't the worst book ever, it just isn't very good. It's a prep school fantasy by a boy who was good at english and felt that there was something apocalyptic or at least meaningful in the teenage parties and consumerism that surround him. The upper east side is full of young ironists who quote Veblen and Ellis, sadly McDonell is not one of them, otherwise he would have known better. If you want to read about spoiled rich kids, LESS THAN ZERO is the classic, it's short and funny. The sequel, RULES OF ATTRACTION is pointless, but it should be mandatory reading for anyone thinking of going to an eastern liberal arts college. Ellis borrowed much of his style from Dennis Cooper. If yoou want to read something "shocking" TRY is a much better book about missing love and prevalent drugs.
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