Customer Reviews

The Potential Hazards of Hester Day: A Novel

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The Potential Hazards of Hester Day: A Novel
Have you ever woken up at 1:11 AM with the TV still on? Are you familiar with the movies that you see at that hour? You know how they are are sort of odd, a little offbeat, but so oddly compelling that you simply MUST stay up until 3 to see how they end?

This book is like one of those movies. It starts without a "grand opening" but more like you woke up to start watching a movie of Hester's life. You don't necessarily have to know what came earlier, to be instantly gripped.

The characters have depth, the dialogue is ingenious. This book is fall-off-your-chair-laughing funny, but sort of sad at the same time (in a good way). The oddities of the characters make them sort of weird, but totally likeable.

Mercedes Helnwein has written a phenomenal first novel. I would love to see what happens next to Hester and her companions, but if Helnwein's second novel is a whole new story, that would be great too. Just like I can't shut those middle of the night movies off, I couldn't put this book down. I am addicted.

This is a book you won't be able to put down once you start reading it. A great story, and very funny. Can't wait to read the next book by the author when it comes out.

This is one of those rare books that made me feel, really feel something- laughter, anger, pain and at times it felt like I had been punched in the gut. I love the full on sarcasm that is prevalent throughout the book. It is probably the best example of what it is like to be a teenager living in the U.S. in the modern era - if you're name was Hester Day.
It's weird and cool. I can not recommend it highly enough.

From the onset of this story I was not only laughing my ass off, but found myself in complete awe how author Mercedes Helnwein, who grew up mostly in Europe, managed to tap into such a typical middle class American existence with such detail and insight. This story reminds me of the angst and wit of David Sedaris, J.D. Salinger and John Kennedy Toole's Confederacy of Dunces.

I really enjoyed this book as an interesting stream-of-consciousness journey as seen from the perspective of a girl on the brink of "adult-hood"
The characters were interesting and have that "know them from real life" feeling that I can't put my finger on.

I like the 1960's feel of "the journey" from a sort of beatnik/hippie perspective in the quintesential beat up van.. exploring America's heartland, searching for the meaning of life.

I could relate to the feelings of sarcasm/heartache with the existential vacuum felt by teenagers graduating from highschool with the gaping question "ok..what's next?" Do I join the beehive of normal North American existance or do something different and see if I'm alive and unique and not just a lemming?