Customer Reviews

The Psycho Ex Game: A Novel

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I don't know what to say about this book except that I loved it to death, and I hate almost everything. It's as though an angry Jane Austen and a sardonic Flann O'Brien met and decided to write a book together. It's smart. It's funny. It's true.

As for the person who whined about how unrealistic it is that Grant and Lisa started every e-mail with "Dear Grant" and "Dear Lisa"--kiddo, back in the day when manners and literacy still had some shred of a hold on American society, that was how intelligent people began communications with each other. Now that we live in a world where our nation apparently has an official "Skank Laureate" (a position now held by Paris Hilton, though there are any numbers of contenders for the crown), you may be somewhat unfamiliar with the concept.

Fortunately, the writers of this book have manners, literacy, and intelligence in spades. Big gushy virtual fangirl kisses to both of them.

I love self-deprecating humor as much as the next person, but this book takes it a bit too far. The idea is that the co-authors give their main characters, Lisa Roberty and Grant Repka (thinly disguised versions of the authors, apparently), a chance to make fun of themselves by competing to see who can come off as having been more pathetic in their disastrous former relationships. Though occasionally there are some funny moments and the characters do offer touching insights about their own and their former lovers' motives, more often both characters come off as lonesome whiners who have defined themselves by a failed relationship that should have failed long before it did.
At first the competition is amusing, but it just goes on too long-by the end of the book, you just want them to finish their e-mails and have a real conversation. [...]
P.S. The most annoying thing about this book: Lisa's descriptions of herself drawing faces on recipe cards. This joke was marginally funny the first time, but she repeats it throughout the book to an annoying extent.

The book, writen by two authors, works surprising well. The email exchanges seem quite real. Markoe's dialoge is a bit stilted. But, her internal thoughts work well. Prieboy writes extremely well. YOu completely feel for these characters and their abusive pasts. It is a actually optimistic book and off the beaten path romance. A really great read.

I was so excited about this book I went to the book's website hoping to find MORE. This story was just so well told by two incredible authors. And if you ask me, Lisa had nothing on Grant. He won by a long shot! His psycho stories had me aching for him. Lisa's ex was just a psycho, where Grant's had so many more issues. In fact, you'd have to think that Grant was psycho just for staying...actually, they both were. I wanted these two to live happily ever after together, but I think after knowing their patterns in relationships, they'd never make it...not with each other, or anyone else for that matter! You have GOT to read this book.

Once I started the book, I couldn't put it down. And then I was sad to return to the world when it ended. I really liked it a lot. It's very funny and at the same time scarily real. My idea of perfect comfort for anyone who has ever had a really bad love relationship.

As a long-time Andy Prieboy fan, I had fun translating the book from it's fictional names to the real ones! I was one of those dedicated fans at "The Empire Club" while the whole musical was being developed/fine tuned. I was also a regular at The Uncab where Merrill Markoe had performed. It was great to hear all of the old stories again that Andy would recall during his gigs. After moving away from LA, it's been years since I've had the honor of seeing his brilliant shows. Being out of the loop, it was also a bit of an update about the status of the musical. I am excited to hear that more books are to come and that the musical may finally get off its feet. Thank God he didn't "sell out" to do the musical "their way". *That* would have been too WTWL!
Good luck Andy - I hope you become a hit AND rich to spite them all!

I bought the book at the urging of a friend and didn't really expect to get in to it as much as I did. but it really hit home. THe combination of funny and painfully honest was great. I seriously couldn't put it down until I finished it. I especially recommend it to anyone who has had love go spectacularly wrong for them.

With its biting wit and unflinchingly honesty, the Psycho Ex Game is harder to walk away from than a co-dependent relationship. I couldn't put it down. This book is a must-read for anyone who's been stuck in a bad relationship and wondered how they got there.

This was a fast, fun read. Grant and Lisa, the two main characters, are likable and engaging, and their back and forth email repartee turns into a contest to see who has the most insane ex. I sped so quickly through it that I guess it was inevitable I be disappointed with the ending. It seemed tacked on (and if you don't want a spoiler, please skip this part), as if Winnie and Grant broke up so that Lisa could enter Grant's life. The revelation of Winnie's infidelity doesn't jive, as she and Grant are presented as a happy couple who get along well with each other. As Grant details Winnie's flaws, making her into yet another psycho ex, Lisa is able to take her place. But for the most part, the book is a fun read.

I never related to characters more strongly than I did to those in Psycho Ex GAme. I am embarrassed to admit this is the story of my life.Once I started reading I couldnt stop.THen I bought copies for all my friends.