Submarine by Joe Dunthorne

Submarine is another book that was recommended to me, this time by my friend, Jay. I have to say, after reading it, I'm a little surprised he would recommend it to me, but alas I plugged through the book and completed it in record time.

The story is that of Oliver Tate and his crazy, messed up life. Or, I should say, this kid himself is pretty messed up. A coming of age story, 15-year old Oliver appears to be obsessed with his parents, obsessed with words, and does not seem to know himself at all. He's a bully, he keeps a diary, and he's in love with a girl who has eczema and he cannot help but point it out constantly. The things he does and gets away with in this book are quite astonishing, and I am now convinced that guys are crazier than girls haha.

Maybe this book would make a lot more sense to a male, but to me it just felt so all over the place. I kept thinking while reading, "This story is crazy. This boy is crazy. I'm not a boy, maybe I just don't get it..." If you liked Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger or The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky I think you would enjoy this book. Dunthorne is a good writer and certainly has a way of getting his ideas across in a clear manner, I just did not like the story itself.

Sorry I can't rave about this one, but that does not mean you should not try it for yourself. I have included some links below, as always, so check them out if you would like some more information. Happy Reading!

http://joedunthorne.com/index.php?/project/submarine/
http://www.penguin.ca/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780143056393,00.html?SUBMARINE_Joe_Dunthorne
http://www.adambowman.co.uk/2012/01/11/a-likeable-unlikeable-narrator/
http://www.amazon.ca/Submarine-Joe-Dunthorne/dp/0143056395/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328020072&sr=8-1
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Submarine-Joe-Dunthorne/9780143056393-item.html?ikwid=submarine+joe+dunthorne&ikwsec=Home