Customer Reviews

48 Shades Of Brown

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I cannot believe that the reviews for this book are not amazing. This book winds together beautifully. It's great for teenagers, managing to be remarkably true to life, as as well as interesting and unique.

I loved it.

Dan has to make a choice, and so do you. Dan's choices are to either go to Geneva with his parents, board in Australia or stay in Australia but live with his aunt. Your choice is whether or not to read this amusing yet tedious book.

Dan chooses to live with his aunt, Jacq, and her friend Naomi. Jacq is a 22 year old who plays bass guitar in her band. Naomi is a beautiful university student who has a boyfriend named Jason. Everything goes crazy when Dan realizes that he has fallen in love with Naomi and spends all his time trying to memorize the shades of brown to classify birds scientifically and impress Naomi. As if everything isn't confusing enough for Dan, his best friend, Chris Burns, is obsessed with pornography. Throw in a dog named Boner, Dan's ability to analyze just about anything and a good deal of vomiting and you get 48 Shades of Brown.

The book is written in first person from Dan's perspective. Dan is a curious guy with a comical view on life. You'll find yourself laughing uncontrollably at some of Dan's thoughts and questions. But most of the time you'll feel like skipping a couple pages as Dan analyzes aspects of his life. His ability to examine everything from one sentence that Naomi said to his own habit of wearing socks for up to four pages could get incredibly boring. It even seems like a tedious chore after a while.

The book is written almost completely in stream of consciousness, even more so than Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger. If you don't like stream of consciousness you should stay far away from this book.

48 Shades of Brown won the Children's Book of the Year: Older Readers Award from the Children's Book Council of Australia. As suggested by the award the book is targeted at an older audience. The book contains a lot of adult content (mainly sexual references) so people who are young or immature shouldn't read it.

So what will be your choice? Will you read this book and laugh along with (and sometimes at) Dan as he amusingly explores his new life? Or will you stay far far away from this tedious read? The choice is yours.

When I picked up the book, I was debating on whether or not it would be good. After reading, I'm still wondering if it was worth the read.

The book has a very slow beginning. This slow beginning leads to an even slower plot development. The novel lacks action and the climax was more like that of rising action. There is the hint of wonder on whether or not Dan gets the girl, but nothing to keep one turning the pages. The ending was quick, rushed, yet to the point. I guess it's to make up for the lack of substance in the novel.However, on the bright side the book is very funny. It's edgy and Dan has a comical view on life. He analyzes everything, even the way he puts on his shoes. Many a time you will find yourself laughing at one Dan's thinking. But, there wasn't a connection with any of the characters so they and the book aren't worth remembering.

In 48 SHADES OF BROWN, Australian author Nick Earls comically portrays Dan in this coming-of-age story.

Dan, a high school student, boards with his crazy band-playing Aunt Jacq, 22, and her roommate, Naomi, an attractive pysch major at the Uni. Through his social and emotional innocence, Dan becomes infatuated with Naomi and her every movement, including her frequent sexual run-ins with her 'jerk' boyfriend, in turn devastating Dan.

Dan is very innocent, yet his sensitive and intellectual demeanor allows the reader to easily identify with him. He has intense social reflection throughout the novel, and only seems to be disrupted by his friend, Chris Burns, another inexperienced, yet porn-obsessed, friend.

The realness of the novel and the hilarious conclusion of the party allow for true connection into the complex character of Dan, along with providing for an entertaining read.

All those who have had to grow up will be able to relate. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, despite some of it being a bit slow at times. My only other gripe was the unfamiliar textual presentation, as the entire book consisted of Dan's introspection or what seemed to be him hearing others talk, which was put in italics, which I felt was a bit irritable at times throughout.

However, I'd recommend this one to anyone who has risen up in the sex-obsessed world we know and love.

Reviewed by: Andrew S. Cohen

when i picked up this book i thought it was rather interesting from what i read in the synopsis on the back. but when i started reading it, i wanted to hit something with this book, its so incredibly boring, the main character overthinks things and i feel it has no life, but hey, if you want to read it, go ahead, maybe someday ill finish reading this book.

48 shades of brown is unlike any book that i've read before. i thought the way the quthor expressed the guys thoughts was differant and funny. i had never read a book before that had a boys life instead of a girl. some of the parts were very funny and i enjoyed reading it. it is a book for people who just want something differant and for the most part easy to read. at parts it got confusing but overall it was a good book. i would say anyone who wants a fun read would like it.

The book 48 Shades of brown is a funny and romantic story about a young man named Dan who is given the choice to move to Geneva with his parents for a year, go to boarding school, or go live with his twenty-two year old aunt, Jacq. Not wanting to switch schools or be boarded at one, Dan chooses his aunts place. As if his senor year of high school isn't hard enough, Dan falls for a girl, but not just any girl, Jacq's roommate Naomi. Now, he has to survive calculus and get Naomi to like him. The trouble is that Dan isn't her type of guy, so he spends the entire book trying to become that guy that she wants.

This book is full of humor, twists, romance, and some pretty embarrassing moments. It has great characters that you fall in love with as well as one major twist at the end that I know surprised me. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to have fun and wants to laugh. This is a book that both boys and girls will have fun with and will be able to relate a lot to as well. I do not recommend this book to younger audiences because there is some sexual content and language. All together I thought this book was really well written and a very enjoyable book to read. This isn't the ordinary love story, pick it up and find out for yourself.

When I first spotted 48 Shades of Brown in the youth section of my library I was debating within myself whether this book was worth the read. The blurb looked compromisable but the praise for the author, Nick Earls was undeniably enticing.

Basically, this novel tells the story of Dan Brancroft, a teenager who has a choice to make as to whether to go to Geneva with his parents for a year, or move into a house with his bass-playing aunt, Jacq, (who apparently is only a couple years older than himself) and her friend/housemate Naomi. He chose Jacq's place. From then on, he is faced with a pulsating crush on Naomi (who sleeps in the next room from him and is separated by only a thin wall), trys to impress her by learning the scientific names of birds and the different shades of brown (hence the title).

The book mainly centres on his feelings on Naomi and ways in which he trys to sort them out, but it also demonstrates the emotional growth of a teenage boy.

Although there were some sections where I laughed, shook my head in amazement at the honesty and creativity of the author, I have to be honest and say that for the most part this book was quite tedious. If you don't read carefully, there can be times when you can completely lose the plot and purpose of the story. There are also times in the story when you just wish something interesting happens. It's not exactly what I would call "packed with excitment". The nature of the book would best be described as mellow and gentle.

I would only recommend this to readers between 13-18, who like "soft" stories that deal with human nature, and can tolerate a slow read with surprising but hilarious humor integrated among the pages.

I like this book, it is good. I also like butterflies, trees and men. My mum says so. I was able to relate to this book cause it refered to trees and men. My best friend is Kyle.