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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
great read, but a bit sex-obsessed, May 27, 2008
This review is from: Spanking Shakespeare (Hardcover)
this is an extremely creative and fun young adult book about a 17 year-old guy who is very gifted at writing, but not much else. he's struggling through his senior year in a creative writing program where he has to write a memoir about his life. so the chapters in the book jump back and forth between his actual memoir chapters and his reflections about them and life.
that said, it's another one of the YA (young adult) books that are a good read, but would be difficult for me to recommend to actual teenagers, due to its obsession with masturbation, sex, drug-use and alcohol, and other (very real) stuff. not that i'm a prude who thinks kids should only read christianized (read: sanitized) fiction with falsely scrubbed kids having bible studies.
seeing the author's bio, and that he teaches 8th grade english as his day job, i was instantly a fan. but i kept thinking, as i read, that his book would be somewhat over-the-line for the kids he teaches (let alone the parents of those kids!).
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, December 28, 2007
This review is from: Spanking Shakespeare (Hardcover)
Shakespeare Shapiro hates his name. It is one in a long line of things that his parents have done to make his life miserable. The rest of his life isn't going very well either. Shakespeare actually describes his life as a series of catastrophes. Now he is beginning his senior in high school, has never kissed a girl, and has only made two friends. His younger brother, Gandhi, is popular and has a girlfriend. And his parents, well, they are a unique force to be reckoned with.
Now that he is in the twelfth grade, Shakespeare has to do his school's senior project; write a memoir about his life so far. The good news is that Shakespeare is a skillful writer. The bad? How truthful would you want to be if your life was made up of mortifying, embarrassing moments?
In addition to his memoir, Shakespeare is also dealing with the usual high school issues: girls (or a lack of them), sex (or a lack of it), popularity (again--a lack of it), and family. And now his two best friends, Neil and Katie, are hooking up.
SPANKING SHAKESPEARE is a hilariously funny look at the life of a very unique teenage boy. It is written in a dual style; a narrative of Shakespeare's everyday life combined with chapters from his memoir. Author Jake Wizner takes readers through the life of one of the smartest and funniest characters in young adult fiction today. SPANKING
SHAKESPEARE will have you laughing out loud.
Reviewed by: JodiG.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the funniest YA books I've ever read, and touching, too!, October 2, 2007
This review is from: Spanking Shakespeare (Hardcover)
Shakespeare Shapiro is a witty senior in high school who has a lot to say about himself, his family, and his friends. I laughed out loud while I was reading. There are touching moments too, which round out the book nicely.
Shakespeare is writing a memoir, in which he muses about his (unfortunate?) name, his crazy family, and his social ineptitude.
As a former teacher, I can say that this book will appeal to teen girls and boys, and (open minded) parents.
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