My Best Friend is a Wookiee: One Boy's Journey to Find His Place in the Galaxy [Hardcover]

Tony Pacitti (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 18, 2010

In a galaxy far, far away a geek was born.

So begins the real-life hero's journey of Jedi Knight wannabe Tony Pacitti. In this hilarious coming-of-age memoir, Tony shows how Star Wars has served as a source of comfort, guidance, and wisdom in his life. From the first thunderous boom of John William's score, seven-year-old Tony takes on Star Wars as his moral compass, his mentor, even his psychologist. Like his hero Luke Skywalker, Tony must then overcome Stormtrooper bullies, Lando turncoats, and Emperor Palpatine authority figures and embrace his own geekiness to grow into a man worthy of riding shotgun with Chewie.

With the sense of humor of Han Solo, the willpower of Luke Skywalker, and the wisdom of a (much younger) Yoda, Pacitti uses the Force to follow his heart, overcome obstacles, and live a life worthy of a Jedi knight, endearing Star Wars fans everywhere in the process!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a galaxy right under his nose, a pants-peeing boy of seven experienced a rebirth while watching The Empire Strikes Back. From this "first kiss" a lifelong love affair begins, and Pacitti is entertainingly adept at finding a Star Wars parallel for almost any life experience, including his Jabba-like, playground-ruling enemy from second grade. Just as Luke Skywalker struggled to become a Jedi, Pacitti fights the dark side of depression and heartbreak, finding solace in a distant galaxy where the good guys don't always win. Though the recent prequel trilogy ("six years and seven-ish hours of crap" nowhere near justified by 20 minutes of "kind of neat") proves to be his ultimate heartbreak. Pacitti's prose is often perfunctory and, though he earns his nerd badge, bloated plot summaries and snarky commentary tarnish its shine. But when he taps into his personal experience Pacitti writes with honesty, enthusiasm, and occasional hilarity. Many a Star Wars fan will find charm in this familiar story; those who don't know their Wars from their Trek may be carried along by a deeply-examined connection to pop culture. (Sept.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Tony Pacitti has written for southcoast247.com as a features writer and video game reviewer and has had his short science fiction published at 365tomorrows.com. He has been the writer for the online comics RoboPlanet and The Silencer at Pandemonium Comics.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Adams Media (September 18, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1440505837
• ISBN-13: 978-1440505836
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,176,942 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Just for Star Wars Fans... August 20, 2010

By Slick Rick's Ball and Chain

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

At first I was skeptical that I wouldn't understand this book. I am not a huge Star Wars fan. I haven't even seen all the movies. I was pretty sure this book might be all about Darth Vader and Storm Troopers, and this fanboy's crush on Princess Leia.
I was pleasantly surprised at how relatable this book was to someone such as myself. Tony shares his experiences with growing up geek, which is something I think most people have dealt with at one point or another in their lives. From mud throwing bullies, to awkward teenage romances, this book really shows someone growing into their nerdy-ness, and being completely comfortable with it. A hilarious memoir that anyone who is geek (or closet geek for that matter) will love.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Self-indulgent nothings May 22, 2011

By CamBob

Format:Hardcover

If you're looking for a funny memoir with a geeky spin, there are better choices. The events described by Pacitti may have resonance with the lives of countless American males, but that's also one of the book's major weaknesses: there's nothing novel or interesting here. Pacitti's story shows that he went through the same teasing, teen angst, first crush, and eventual emergence from his shell that pretty much any American geek endures; there's nothing particularly inspiring or novel about his struggles. And once we reach adulthood with the author, nothing much changes. (It's telling that by the time Pacitti graduates high school, most of the book is behind the reader.) The quotidian nature of the events isn't necessarily a bad thing, of course; a skilled author can present the banal in a funny and insightful way and still present a winner. Unfortunately, that is not the case here. Pacitti is a capable wordsmith... but only just. There are few if any laugh-out-loud moments here, few if any tear-jerker episodes, little to excite the reader in the way of clever wordplay, thick description, or expert characterization. It's almost as if Pacitti transcribed his journal directly to book form, added some Star Wars references, and got a publisher to print the thing. In short, if you want a funny childhood memoir, stick with David Sedaris and the like. Pacitti may reach their ranks one day, but this book shows he still has some ways to go.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars spot on June 9, 2011

By G. Huey

Format:Hardcover

I haven't read a book to which I relate so well in years and years. It's like Pacitti found my old journals and wrote a story about my childhood. Required for anyone who ever saved his allowance to buy a millennium falcon.

I actually sent this copy to my brother after I gave my own version to a buddy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it; read it twice! March 25, 2011

By Tigger VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Possibly one of the funniest, warmest and most engaging books I've ever had the pleasure to read. Picked it up at the library as I was glancing over the new release shelf, and just grabbed it out of curiosity over the title. I didn't even intend to check it out, but am so glad I did.

Essentially an autobiography of someone we otherwise wouldn't know anything about, this is a hilarious and heart-warming coming-of-age story framed in the author's fascination with all things Star Wars. Tony Pacitti wasn't even born when the first (now known as the 4th episode) Star Wars movie came out, so he had no real-time experience with the world-wide cultural phenomenon it quickly grew into back in the late 70's and early 80's, although he would get to live it in its second incarnation with the release of the three prequels. His introduction to Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, C3P0 and gang came about via his mother and a classic case of boy-style bullying. After suffering through yet another barrage of mud bombs launched by a group of older boys in the neighborhood, Tony is consoled by an old VHS copy of The Empire Strikes Back that his mother pops into the VCR. Voila, a Star Wars fanboy was born. His life became, in large part, a quest to learn about and immerse himself in the World o' Lucas.

He tells his story, from childhood through college and into adulthood - but mostly childhood and those awkward pre-teen/early teen years - and lets the reader in on a lot of personal and painful history, including his experiences being bullied, moving to a new town, trying desperately to fit in, smoking his first cigarette, falling in love, and finally finding his niche. If ever there was a story about the value of being yourself, this is it....

I found myself cheering him on, shaking my head at times, and - mostly - just laughing my head off. I read chunks of it aloud to my husband, whom I knew would appreciate it as a Star Wars fan himself (I am too, but not on the level these boys are). This guy is one terrific writer, or at least he is when telling his own story. I read it almost straight through, from Saturday afternoon into Sunday morning, and then turned back to page one and read it all over again. Absolutely loved it and highly recommend it to anyone, Star Wars fan or not. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect... February 12, 2011

By Star Wars dad

Format:Hardcover

This book is an excellent read. Tony was a kid smack in the middle of the Star Wars timeline between my son and I. His strong emotional attachments to the stories Lucas created mirror mine and probably elude any description for my son just yet but maybe after he reads this book he will get it to. Well done Mr. Paciti.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Very entertaining October 25, 2010

By Gus Hound

Format:Hardcover

A very entertaining book that is less about Star Wars, and more a candid (and sometimes cringe worthy) look at growing up in the 90s and 00s.

The author freely shares his distain for the Prequel Trilogy and The Clone Wars. There are certainly changes or additions to the Saga to which many, many fans have taken exception, and Star Wars fandom means different things to different people. But at the end of the book I was left with an unanswered question, "If a person hasn't liked anything Star Wars that has been produced since 1983, is that person really still a Star Wars fan?"