Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick
Joe Schreiber
2011
I mostly picked this book at the library because of the title. It had potential to be hilarious, and it lived up to that (eventually). I also recognized the author's name, although when I looked up what else he had written I didn't know any of the titles.
Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick (from here on in, referred to as Au Revoir), has one of the most interesting narrative styles that I have read lately. Each chapter was based on a different college essay admissions question. I never had to write an admissions essay (because I'm from Canada), but it was very interesting to see all the different questions. I also really liked how each question directly led to what was happening in that chapter. And it never seemed like the chapters were forced into fitting with the question*. The chapters were all varying lengths which was nice.
Au Revoir is about a young man named Perry who is in his senior year of high school and is in a band. He really wants to play this one really big gig, but it happens to fall on the night of his prom. This wouldn't be an issue if there wasn't a (rather strange) foreign exchange student, Gobi, staying with him. Perry's mother forces him to take her to the prom, against both their wishes. What Perry thinks is going to be a boring, quiet night at his prom takes a turn for the interesting when he finds out that Gobi has other, more interesting, plans for the evening.
I had a hard time getting into this book at first. I didn't really like Perry. I thought he was whiny and annoying and I wasn't too fond of Gobi either. But once the action started the book was near impossible to put down. It really is a fast moving page-turner. I really liked the plot, though it is occasionally extremely unrealistic. There are several times when you're reading that you just have to put the book down and say to yourself "What on Earth did I just read?" because of the events, but it's the kind of book where you have to find out what's next. The end is rather open-ended which is good for your imagination, or for a sequel sometime in the future.
The characters are interesting. You find out bits of information about Gobi in very small amounts, except for right near the end. Perry really grows as a character, and his family becomes less two-dimensional as the novel progresses.
This book can be purchased from Amazon here: Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick
or from your local bookseller/library.
I give this book 3.8 stars out of 5. I really liked the plot and characters, but it wasn't my favourite book (but it was still fantastic). I really liked the way the chapters were laid out.
Have you read Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick? Did you like it? Have you read anything else by this author? What books would you recommend?
*though I'm pretty sure the questions were all fictional
Au Revoir is about a young man named Perry who is in his senior year of high school and is in a band. He really wants to play this one really big gig, but it happens to fall on the night of his prom. This wouldn't be an issue if there wasn't a (rather strange) foreign exchange student, Gobi, staying with him. Perry's mother forces him to take her to the prom, against both their wishes. What Perry thinks is going to be a boring, quiet night at his prom takes a turn for the interesting when he finds out that Gobi has other, more interesting, plans for the evening.
I had a hard time getting into this book at first. I didn't really like Perry. I thought he was whiny and annoying and I wasn't too fond of Gobi either. But once the action started the book was near impossible to put down. It really is a fast moving page-turner. I really liked the plot, though it is occasionally extremely unrealistic. There are several times when you're reading that you just have to put the book down and say to yourself "What on Earth did I just read?" because of the events, but it's the kind of book where you have to find out what's next. The end is rather open-ended which is good for your imagination, or for a sequel sometime in the future.
The characters are interesting. You find out bits of information about Gobi in very small amounts, except for right near the end. Perry really grows as a character, and his family becomes less two-dimensional as the novel progresses.
This book can be purchased from Amazon here: Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick
or from your local bookseller/library.I give this book 3.8 stars out of 5. I really liked the plot and characters, but it wasn't my favourite book (but it was still fantastic). I really liked the way the chapters were laid out.
Have you read Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick? Did you like it? Have you read anything else by this author? What books would you recommend?
*though I'm pretty sure the questions were all fictional
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