Are You There, God? It's Me. Kevin.: A Memoir (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Keck (Oedipus Wrecked) offers his drug-induced view on living life with as little effort as possible while delving into the possibility of God and organized religion versus spirituality. With candid wit, he recalls his past 10 years, explaining the influence of his family (his crazy mother who wakes him up by putting a butcher knife to his throat), his unfulfilled decision to descend into priesthood (It was cool to tell people you were becoming a priest, especially if you had a beer in your hand) and his germ phobia (people should not shake hands in church during flu season). He gets roped into teaching Sunday school, where he delivers half-baked sermons on evolution and abortion, yet the church parents can't stop raving about the positive impact he's had on their children. The humor in a few chapters seems forced and somewhat puerile (at age 25 he beat up his brother for putting a child-protection lock on the computer so he couldn't look at porn), though overall, Keck wins the reader over with his quirky honesty. (Mar.)
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Review

"Reading this book is a lot like talking with one of your buddies over a beer. "Are You There, God?" is a good read for anyone whose life is in upheaval or ever has been, and that covers just about all of us."--Dallas Morning News

"Funny and entertaining…"--New York Observer

"Highly engaging"--Time Out Chicago

“Overly revealing and not very pretty, but good”—Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

"Very funny”—Christopher Schobert, Buffalo News

“Like David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs before him, the author enchants and occasionally horrifies with self-deprecating tales of familial dysfunction as he exposes the bumps encountered thus far on his road to self-discovery…. Laugh-out-loud memoir that also offers serious food for thought for those tempted to seek the comforts of home when negotiating the trials of adulthood.”—Kirkus Reviews

“With candid wit…. Keck wins the reader over with his quirky honesty.”—Publishers Weekly

Praise for Oedipus Wrecked:

“The short memoir of an amazingly perverted—and funny—young writer.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Hilarious...this slim volume is sure to make you laugh out loud.”—Playgirl

“Oedipus Wrecked is very dirty, very honest, and very funny. Did I mention it’s very dirty?”—A. J. Jacobs

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (February 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596914165
• ISBN-13: 978-1596914162
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #904,644 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars wow - this is A life in all its glory...., January 15, 2009

By	iffy "make me a Mantra, so I can break bonds..." - See all my reviews

This a funny book for a couple of reasons. The author offers the reader the opportunity to get flashbacks into his life and it is eye-opening. He isn't looking for pity or judgment but simply decided to write on something that he knows enough about - himself.
The title is a little misleading because at the end of the book, you get the feeling that he is no longer trying to explain his relationship with a higher power and how he feels about it etc. On that note, I felt it was rushed, like he decided [after spilling his beans] that perhaps he had said too much and he viciously reigns himself in.
And he does answer the question of how much drugs a person can do and still by society's definition be functional. Its a very scary thought!
Mr. Keck is funny

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars honesty is his policy, February 20, 2008

By	charlotte reader "charlotte reader" - See all my reviews

this memoir flows easily,telling of kevin's life journey. it is entertaining in nature, but the elemental emotions of life are honestly revealed for reflection .