Rating: 
Summary: Rats Saw God
Review: It all started when Steve York, the son of the famous astronaut, Alan York, failed English in his senior year. In order to be promoted from high school, Steve was required to type a hundred-page paper; or, he could choose to go to summer school. Steve went for the paper. He decided to explain how he came to failing English with several 4.0's in his freshmen year for his hundred-page paper. Through the paper, Steve discovered all the phases he had went through before failing English. He gathered valuable memories and experiences from the neglected past. He remembered his first and second girlfriend, the Dadaist club he went to, and the life he had living with his father, of whom he referred to as "the astronaut." By typing the paper, Steve learned from his mistakes, managed to put himself together, and began an entirely new life in the University of Washington.
This book is one of the weirdest books I have ever read. Its contents aren't really exciting, but it has many interesting ideas and ways of describing. For example, the title is Rats Saw God; what does it stand for? As I progressed through the book, I found out that Rats Saw God is the reverse of "Dog Was Star." Other than that, the title doesn't stand for anything; it's just there to be there. As for the interesting ways of describing, "I could almost hear him smile," "written in the sissified script no male can duplicate," and "he could have been sharing clothes with Gandhi," are just a few of the phrases used as descriptions in the book.
My favorite part of this book was when Steve finally realized how much "the astronaut" cared for him. His realization occurred during Alan York's second wedding. Alan asked Steve to come to his wedding and be "his best man." At first, Steve thought that since his father was a world-known figure, he must want him to be there on his wedding to put on a show. He was reluctant in doing so, but he went there anyways because his sister persuaded him. However, he found the truth when he saw with his very own eyes his will-be-stepmother and Alan York being declared wife and the only people to witness it was his sister, his stepgrandparents, and himself. He realized that his father's invitation to his wedding was out of pure sincerity, not out of wanting to have a perfect wedding. He had known his dad for all his life but it was then, in the split second that his stepmother was married to his dad, that Steve finally got to know his dad.
Rating: 
Summary: Best Teenaged-Book I've ever read
Review: Without a doubt, this is the best book for teenagers that I have ever read. I read it as a junior in high school, and I connected with it so well that after finishing it the first time, (in 2 days,) I promptly went back and read it again immediately. I have read it 4 more times since then, and it is still as funny and real as it was the first time. Steve's pain is so well conveyed and so moving that I felt like I was the one who had been heartbroken. Why isn't this being made into a movie? Does no one in Hollywood see the potential for a movie like this? I swear I'm the only one thinking sometimes. Anyway, this is a great read for anyone over 15, and I mean anyone. This should be on every high school summer reading list in the country. I'm not asking for it, I'm demanding it.
Rating:
Summary: A Teacher's View
Review: I was asked by our school librarian to review this book for a variety of reasons. I loved it. However, I do hesitate to recommend it to most teens. Granted, parents may want to review it with regards to language and subject matter. My biggest concern is how well the average student will "get it." The humor is sharp and there are references to things that, again, will appear pointless to an average kid. This book is an amazing look into a teen's journey from self-destruction and back-all without counseling or rehab. Anyone who ever felt "on the outside fringes" of high school (socially, intellectually, etc.) will "get it".
Rating:
Summary: Rats Saw God
Review: I think this book was one of the most enjoyable books that I have read that have to do with teen angst. I think that it was a little over-rated for what I had heard about this book. I feel like Steve York has a relatively "normal" life. It is a mature book. If you like reading about peoples screwed up lives, this is the best possible book for you.
Rating:
Summary: Rats Saw God
Review: This book is about a high school senior named Steve York, and in order to pass his English class and his senior year he has to write a 100 page story about his life. At first he thinks it is stupid to write it, but then later realizes that it is better then summer school. The ideal audience for this book would be someone who is in high school because that is the age his book is aimed at. This was a very interesting book because it is so easy to relate to, I think it is easy to relate to because it is aimed at high school kids and they go threw the same problems that Steve goes through. There are some parts in this book that are a little slow and lost my interest, but nothing major. Before I read this book I thought that it was not going to be a good book, but I was totally surprised after I read it, it was much better then my original thoughts of the book. When Steve is writing the paper he remembers things in the past when he used to live in Texas, and the people he hung out with there. He had a very close girlfriend named "Dub" who plays a pretty big role in the story. This is a great book about high school life that any student can relate to. Other then the book has some slow parts it is a great book to read and I recommend anyone who wants a good funny easy book to read to get this one.
Rating:
Summary: Dadaism
Review: Fantastic book.Funny yet heart-breaking at the same time.A must read for those who like things like "The Catcher in the Rye".Poignant and REAL, we can all of us identify with some,or all of these lovable characters in their obvious humanity.Steve has a soul that makes us love him and share his sorrow.
Rating:
Summary: who knew?
Review: Who knew Dadaism could be so funny? The son of an astronaut deals with his father's fame, his intellect, and his girlfriend in this novel. Steve's determination to stay out of the yearbook teamed up with Doug's determination to get in the yearbook, causes them to found the Grace Order of Dadaists (GOD), the epitome of the anti-popularity high school sentiment. If you like this book, see also Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli or Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher. Those books also deal with popularity and conformity in high school. All three books deal with these subjects (and others) remarkably well. The best thing about Rats Saw God, though, is the title. When people ask you what you're reading, and you say Rats Saw God... be prepared for a strange look. But if you try to explain what it means, the look will just get stranger. That sort of thing makes my day.
Rating: 
Summary: more fancy garbage in the young adult genre
Review: This story is typical of the "quality" young adult books out there - it presents "what is" in a clear and realistic light, but offers nothing to help get a reader, that is, a growing, seeking person, beyond what is presently our version of reality. Some parts of this story were excellent, such as its portrayal of teen angst and pain, miscommunication with out-of-it parents, shaky loyalties with siblings and friends, desire to fit it, and willingness to drink and smoke pot (and do who knows what else) to accomplish the goals of ridding oneself of unwanted and uncomfortable feelings. Incidentally, such teen problems as these are not only limited to teens, which is what makes this book so much more universal than just for a teen audience (I'm 29). I guess they're universal to the crying teenager within us all. The parts of this book I found unnecessary, gratuitous and even harmful were the sex/romance parts. I'm not a prude by any means, and I've been through my share of sex and drugs and pain, but I think it's very dangerous to present teen sex - or sex at any age - in such an idealized light, as if sex and romance will solve anything. It won't, and in fact just obscures the real problems - it's like a drug unto itself. I think the author added all the sex and romance to capture readers, and perhaps also did it for the chance to indulge in writing a little legitimized porn of his own. But to present that relationship between Steve and Dub as idealized - even if it did come crashing down - is inappropriate. I think teens, and adults too, should wait to have sex (or even deeper romance) until they're really ready to handle the emotional consequences, and to let the real depth, consistency and loyalty of the emotional love of their relationship be a prerequisite for the sex. Just so you know, I know almost no one who qualifies as appropriate to be having sex, and also so you don't think I'm a freak in my viewpoint, you might try reading Gandhi's autobiography. When asked the question by one of his readers about whether he thinks it's possible for a man and a woman (though I feel it's no different for gay relationships) to have an emotionally healthy sexual relationship, Gandhi replies: "yes, I think it's possible...but I just don't think I'm capable of it." So when Rob Thomas sets up a book to make teen romance and teen sex so tempting and charming and ideal, I can't help but be annoyed, disgusted, and unhappy. I think he does a real disservice to genuine human growth.
Rating:
Summary: Three years in the life
Review: What has caused the descent of Steve York, verbally gifted high school student, once a straight A student, now an apathetic drug user? A few months before graduation, Steve's guidance counselor intervenes, arranging for Steve to complete a failing English credit by composing a 100 page story. Steve decides to write about his sophomore and junior year of high school, when he became involved with a group of non-conformists and formed the Grace Order of Dadaists (GOD) club. Also during that time, Steve met his first love and experienced the worst kind of heartbreak. As Steve relates the sometimes wonderful, sometimes painful story of those years, he alternates with commentary on his senior year in San Diego: his academic recovery, fueled in part by a new love interest, and his reconciliation of long time tension with his father, a famous astronaut. The novel's structure highlights the downward trajectory of Steve's Houston years, contrasted with the upward swing of his year in San Diego. Thomas tells Steve's story with a mix of clever humor, engrossing early-90s trivia, and non-sentimental, realistic teenage emotions. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: What....¿?¿?¿?¿?
Review: I am 14 and i was very dissapointed by this book. At the start I thought that it was gonig to be really good. When I got further into it I was just asking what? The title leads you to believe that there is a meaning behind the title, but there is none. It just can be reversed to dog was star. What is that supposed to mean. I do not suggest this book to anyone, I suggest you find a more enjoyable book. There are so many out there.
|
