Rating: 
Summary: You can take the kid out of Fishtown...
Review: McBride's narrator comes straight off the front stoop. The rough, straight-forward narrative is the voice of his neighborhood, which is, perhaps, the second main character in this novel. McBride fills GGG with beautiful details that give life to his urban landscape. Some of which are a poke in the ribs of fellow Philadelphians, those who know these streets and these neighborhoods. However, the true beauty of this book is that it transcends its location and becomes more than just another inner city novel. Some of the themes that McBride writes about, in spite of the sullenness, is that there is a true beauty in these row homes streets, the beauty of family, first loves, true friendships. In some of the interviews I read, McBride said that he wanted this book to be a "love bomb." Perhaps not my choice of words, but in the end, when everything is neatly squared away, you feel so drawn in to this, at times annoying, little character of Henry, you can't help but feel moved and wish the book didn't have to end. To me, despite some technical flaws, this makes for a great book.
Rating:
Summary: You can take the kid out of Fishtown...
Review: McBride's narrator comes straight off the front stoop. The rough, straight-forward narrative is the voice of his neighborhood, which is, perhaps, the second main character in this novel. McBride fills GGG with beautiful details that give life to his urban landscape. Some of which are a poke in the ribs of fellow Philadelphians, those who know these streets and these neighborhoods. However, the true beauty of this book is that it transcends its location and becomes more than just another inner city novel. Some of the themes that McBride writes about, in spite of the sullenness, is that there is a true beauty in these row homes streets, the beauty of family, first loves, true friendships. In some of the interviews I read, McBride said that he wanted this book to be a "love bomb." Perhaps not my choice of words, but in the end, when everything is neatly squared away, you feel so drawn in to this, at times annoying, little character of Henry, you can't help but feel moved and wish the book didn't have to end. To me, despite some technical flaws, this makes for a great book.
Rating: 
Summary: Two words, my bad!
Review: Shawn McBride has given credence to the term "philthadelphia." Anyone who thought that philadelphia was the armpit of the nation, will now be convinced. I don't know what street he grew up on, but it sure wasn't mine! One star for the one time i laughed out loud. Unfortunately, by the end of the book, i couldn't remember what it was that made me laugh. By the way, the term "my bad," was never used in that decade.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing read!
Review: Shawn McBride has shone in one novel the amount of humor, passion and hilarity an author can have at any age! His insights via Henry Toohey brought me back to my own dysfunctional adolescence. Thank you Mr. Mcbride.
Rating:
Summary: Blurred lines between kids and adults
Review: The book brought back the ecstatic highs and abysmal lows of teenage boyhood. One thing that I didn't recognize, but found very interesting, was how the adults didn't act so differently from the teenagers around them. I'll buy more copies of this book as gifts.
Rating:
Summary: Constantly foul mouthed and thoroughly touching...
Review: The combination is bizarre...and works beautifully. Try not to make any judgements in the first 15 pages; you'll be glad you did. The author did a great job of making me feel like I was reading a story from a thirteen year old boy from a working class family. It wasn't always comfortable, but I felt like I experienced his life and home. It was frequently funny, several times literally laugh out loud funny, and I came to care about the characters. The book is a little different and a lot good. If you can get beyond the parents and children regularly swearing (and other things) in front of each other and a boy who has boobs-on-the-brain, you'll find a whole lot more beneath the surface.
Rating:
Summary: Constantly foul mouthed and thoroughly touching...
Review: The combination is bizarre...and works beautifully. Try not to make any judgements in the first 15 pages; you'll be glad you did. The author did a great job of making me feel like I was reading a story from a fourteen year old boy from a working class family. It wasn't always comfortable, but I felt like I experienced his life and home. It was frequently funny, several times literally laugh out loud funny, and I came to care about the characters. The book is a little different and a lot good. If you can get beyond the parents and children regularly swearing (and other things) in front of each other and a boy who has boobs-on-the-brain, you'll find a whole lot more beneath the surface.
Rating: 
Summary: If you know Philly like I know Philly you'll laugh out loud
Review: This book brought back a flood of memories of the days spent on my annual visits to relatives in the Northeast section of Philadelphia. From the continual cup size assessment of every woman in the book made by the main character, to the continual giving of grief to family, friends and enemies, as well as the thrill/terror yin-yang of life in a big city, this book really captures a slice of life not normally presented in most media.
Rating:
Summary: Green Grass Grace is Smoking up a Storm!!
Review: This book is a seat grabber. Hold on while Henry Toohey, a fowl mouth 8th grader growning up in the summer of 1984, in Philly. I loved this book, and how Henry's crazy family lived during that period of 2 days in the summer. I hope that this will not be the final book this author will write, we all would like more. Great Read and a must have for your book collection.
Rating:
Summary: excellent
Review: This book is fun and funny and sad. It centers on a 13-year-old boy (Henry) trying to keep his family from falling apart by singing and proposing to his girlfriend (Grace) at a wedding reception. He sings the song his dad sung to his mom when he proposed (his dad is now cheating on his mom) and he offers Grace the same ring his depressed older brother bought for his girlfriend, who died a year ago. The story essentially follows Henry and his friends around their Philly neighborhood over one summer weekend as they play and prepare for Henry's proposal. This play/preparation involves dance lessons, a big band, a jewelry store, a funeral home hearse, a vibrator, a green comb, a white suit, fighting families, bike rides, stickball, frenching, and at least a couple broken windows along the way. The story is so alternately funny and sad it is almost thrilling. I agree with previous reviewers who said as much and disagree with the reviewer who claims to have gone to the author's high school and called the plot cliche filled...The writing here is punchy, wonderful, desperate, frenetic, and full of life. This is a great book, always entertaining, fun to read, and full of feeling.
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