Every Exquisite Thing in What's the Name of That Book???

Jan 27, 2017 Kate rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: age-ya, 2017, realistic

Nanette is a bit of a loner. After her favorite teacher gives her a copy of his favorite book, The Bubblegum Reaper, Nanette quickly becomes obsessed. She sees herself in the pages of the book, and after discovering that the author lives in her town, she strikes up a friendship with Mr. Booker, which leads her on a journey of self-discovery.

The summary above really cannot begin to cover the beauty that is this book. There are so many great quotes I felt like I was reading The Bubblegum Reaper my Nanette is a bit of a loner. After her favorite teacher gives her a copy of his favorite book, The Bubblegum Reaper, Nanette quickly becomes obsessed. She sees herself in the pages of the book, and after discovering that the author lives in her town, she strikes up a friendship with Mr. Booker, which leads her on a journey of self-discovery.

The summary above really cannot begin to cover the beauty that is this book. There are so many great quotes I felt like I was reading The Bubblegum Reaper myself, and wished it wasn't an ebook so I could underline and highlight. The plot reminded me a bit of both The Fault in Our Stars and All the Bright Places - the first because of the obsession with an author leading to first love, and hunting the author down to get the answers, and the second because of how it starts out as a sort of quirky romantic story but then tears your heart in half (I guess that applies to both books, really). Nanette is trying really hard to understand life and her place in it, and her efforts both to fit in, or not fit in, are both amusing and heartbreaking. This book had so many truths in it that it felt like Matthew Quick could somehow see inside my soul... I kind of wanted just a little more from the ending, but then, Nanette wanted more from The Bubblegum Reaper...

Some notes about the audiobook edition: I liked the narrator a lot - it took me a while to place her accent and at first I thought this story took place in Minnesota or someplace, but eventually realized it was a New Jersey accent. The way the audiobook finished out, however, playing some song that really seemed more like a Shannon song than a Nanette song, nearly ruined the ending for me. The song was probably written specifically for this book or something but to me it turned Nanette's journey into a Lifetime movie, it sounded that cheesy to me. I can't find any reference to the song or what song it was, but the tone totally missed the mark with the story.

Parental advisory: Very strong language, teen drinking, frank discussion of sexual activity (including middle schoolers and oral sex). Recommended for upper high school age and older. ...more

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Apr 06, 2016 Emma rated it liked it · review of another edition

Nanette O'Hare has spent most of her life doing exactly what people expect of her. She gets good grades. She is the star of her high school soccer team and essentially guaranteed an athletic scholarship to the college of her choice. She works hard. She doesn't cause any trouble.

When a favorite teacher gives Nanette a worn copy of a book called The Bubblegum Reaper she isn't sure what to expect. Within the pages of the out-of-print cult classic, Nanette finds a character who seems to understand a Nanette O'Hare has spent most of her life doing exactly what people expect of her. She gets good grades. She is the star of her high school soccer team and essentially guaranteed an athletic scholarship to the college of her choice. She works hard. She doesn't cause any trouble.

When a favorite teacher gives Nanette a worn copy of a book called The Bubblegum Reaper she isn't sure what to expect. Within the pages of the out-of-print cult classic, Nanette finds a character who seems to understand all of the frustration and fatigue that she has been trying to articulate for years.

An unlikely friendship with the book's reclusive author and a turbulent relationship with a young poet and fellow fan leads Nanette to discover her inner rebel. As Nanette tries to become a truer version of herself, she realizes that rebellion rarely comes without a cost in Every Exquisite Thing (2016) by Matthew Quick.

Quick peppers the novel with references to canonical literary works of poetry and novels (all by men, almost exclusively white--this is either a glaring oversight or an intentional reference to the insular world these characters inhabit . . . or possibly both). Every Exquisite Thing is very self-aware and intentionally referential to the book within a book (The Bubblegum Reaper) which is summarized, quoted and otherwise integral to the plot of this novel.

Nanette's character arc is intrinsically linked to her discovery of The Bubblegum Reaper. As she bonds with the author and another fan (the young poet) she learns how literature can change a person. She also learns that idols inevitably fall short of their pedestals in the real world and that fiction--however true it may seem--doesn't always translate well into everyday life.

Parts of Every Exquisite Thing are poignant and moving--as is to be expected from a talent like Matthew Quick. Other aspects of the story, particularly in the second half, are impenetrable and mystifying. Sometimes, particularly with the one-sided representation of the majority of female characters (besides Nanette) as routinely over-sexualized and vapid. This is a high-tension, introspective novel that won't work for everyone. Ideal for readers who don't necessarily need to like a book to enjoy it and who want a text they can engage with on multiple levels.

Possible Pairings: Someday This Pain Will be Useful to You by Peter Cameron, The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, The Catcher in the Rye by Lee Salinger ...more

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Jan 09, 2016 Laura rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: old-reads, mt-bookpile-2016-2020

We've all read That Book, the one that is recommended by someone who knows us well enough to say, "This book will change your life" and, well, it has. The Bubblegum Reaper is That Book for many, including Nanette and Alex, who actually meet because they've befriended the author (and are then set up on a date). Their voices and interactions are, for the most part, very "real teen" and thus sweet and painful and funny all at the same time. The denials Booker, the author, gives over their interpret ...more

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