Twelve

Rating:
Summary: the truth
Review: twelve is a book about what life is like in today's world. i agree that it the author wont grow up to be the next shakespeare, but look at it this way: who is? the poor guy was only 17 when he wrote it; if people keep slamming him for "poor use of grammar and literary devices" then what young adult will ever have the courage to write a book?? as for the subject of twelve, it is about the problems, addictions, and loneliness of today's youth. i recently moved back to chicago after living overseas for over two years with my family. the way of life here is so mundane and horrible, that i wonder WHY people wonder why kids do drugs. its just boring, there is nothing to do, you cant get into a bar under the age of 21, you cant get into clubs, you cant do this, this or this. so what are we supposed to do?? in my opinion twelve should be an eye-opener to the older generations and they should act on the problem before twelve becomes reality for every child.

Rating:
Summary: Twelve - is that the author's age?
Review: Yes, this book received quite a bit of hype. Why? Apparently solely because the author was 17 years old when he wrote it. There is no other discernible reason. It reads more like it was written by a 12-year old. What is not mentioned in the blurbs on the book cover is that McDonell's stepfather or godfather is a big publishing honcho. There is, in my mind, no other reason that Joan Didion and Hunter S. Thompson would write positive things about this dreadful book, and no other way it could have been published.

This book is a blatant rip off of "Less than Zero" by Bret Easton Ellis, a much better book written by someone who actually can write. McDonell blatantly copies Ellis' affectless, present tense, first-person narration. If the exercise here was to parody Ellis, then good job. If the effort was to write an original piece of fiction, no luck. Whatever even hints of originality (and there ain't much, believe me) has been lifted totally from Ellis. All McDonell has done is move the setting to New York, and updated some of the pop culture references. The "surprise ending" people speak of can be seen a mile away. If it really does surprise you, then you just aren't paying attention.

This book is self indulgent in the worst way, and there is simply no excuse for something like this to have been published. I am dumbfounded that someone like Joan Didion wrote a positive blurb about this book. Probably blackmail.

Rating:
Summary: fantastic
Review: As a college student reading this book, I thought it was wonderful. Instead of doing something productive on a Sunday afternoon, I sat and read the book from cover to cover in approximately two hours. I highly recommend this book; I've already lent it out and recieved rave reviews from other students.

Rating:
Summary: East Coast Less Than Zero Rip-Off
Review: I get that the author was 17 when he wrote this...and for 17 -- bang up job! But looking at this novel without the author info leaves a lot to be desired. It's a story of White Mike, a clean-living drug dealer & the events during the last week of December culminating in a big open-house party. The episodic plot was a bit lackluster, the scenes a bit choppy, and the characters were interesting, but a little shallow (maybe that was done on purpose, but I couldn't help wanting more). Perhaps this book is meant more for the high school reader -- one who didn't already read this book better written by Bret Easton Ellis.

Rating:
Summary: teenage testimony indeed
Review: nick mcdonell wrote 'twelve' when he was seventeen, and as much as i hate to hold that against him, it is quite apparent that the novel was written by a seventeen-year-old. at first this works in his favor; 'twelve' is incredibly fast paced (fairly typical of first time novelists) and relatively well developed. there was a brutal honesty that was a true testimony of what it's like to a be a teenager with too much time and money. i actually enjoyed it up to the very end. but in the course of the final three pages of the novel mcdonell spoiled all of his efforts with an anti-climactic finale that becomes the harsh reminder that the story was composed by a seventeen-year-old. things are very neatly tied up, i will give him that much, but the ending was too easy and it seems like mcdonell could have done more since he did so much leading up to that point. i was disappointed, but that may just be a matter of preference.

Rating:
Summary: Twelve - a brilliant novel
Review: Twelve is a brilliant novel. Once I had started reading it, I just couldn't put it down. It is entertaining, philosophical and critical. Nick McDonell's style is characterised by humour along with a talent to satirize and exaggerate while deeply moving the reader at the same time.

Twelve is an authentic and critical novel about the life and problems of today's teenagers. The story is set in New York, although the issues of which McDonell writes are those which affect young people everywhere such as the lack of family ties, the absence and irresponsibility of parents, the resulting loneliness and meaninglessness in young people's lives, the superficiality of relationships and the search for identity. These are universal problems and McDonnell shows that they often lead to the use of drugs and extreme violence. However, he does not offer any solutions and therefore the perspective of the novel is rather nihilistic. I would highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Youth, drugs, New York
Review: Twelve is a brilliant novel. It is entertaining, philosophical and critical. Once I started reading it, i just couldn't put it down. Nick McDonell's style is characterised by humour along with a talent to satirize and exaggerate while deeply moving the reader.

Twelve is an authentic and critical novel about the life and problems of today's teenagers. The story is set in New York although the issues of which McDonell writes are those which affect young people everywhere such as the lack of family ties, the absence and irresponsibility of parents, the resulting loneliness and meaningless in young people's lives, the superficiality of relationships and the search for identity. These are universal problems and McDonell shows that the consequences of them are the use of drugs and extreme violence. However, he does not offer solutions and therefore the perspective of the novel is rather nihilistic. I would highly recommend this novel.

Rating:
Summary: All dressed up with nowhere to go
Review: Despite his connections in the industry, McDonnell seems to know how to pace the narrative of his choosing. However, he doesn't seem to grasp how to dress his characters in their own clothes. And when he dresses them at all, he sends them to that final party scene which is quite simply the most poorly written finale of a novel I have ever read.

Rating:
Summary: A slap in the face
Review: This book is a slap in the face to those of us out there actually trying to be novelists. It is the most poorly-written, overly cliched piece of trash I have ever plowed through. I've seen middle school students churn out writing ten times better than this.

It's been said before, but it's worth repeating -- this novel NEVER would have been published if McDonell's godfather didn't OWN THE PUBLISHING COMPANY! (The fact that his dad helms Sports Illustrated didn't hurt, either.)

Nepotism at its absolute worst.

Rating:
Summary: Hmm...
Review: I like teenagers who do more than what is expected of them. Those that surprise people. Seeing that the author of this book was a teenager when he wrote it, I was curious to find out what he has to offer. I guess I wanted another "A teenager did this!" example. The 20-something rave reviews printed across the first few pages of the book increased my curiosity. What did I find? Eh...

This book is a slew in the subject that centralizes around drugs, drugs, drugs, and even more drugs. Oh, and Twelve? That's the drug's name. The drugs? Yeah, the drugs.

Really though, this book is impressive to a point. It shows the dirty side of the infamous New York streets. I think that the protagonist is the best part of the story. He may be living the crazy life of drug dealership but he doesn't do them. He LIVES. He is not the best protagonist possible but you can admire him for not giving in. Fabulous.

I stress this: "Twelve" is not as bad as people say it is.