Project X: A Novel

The plot to the novel revolves around two 8th grade boys who feel like the world is out to punish them and who have serious self esteem issues. They plan to pay back all the bullies at their school, as well as members of the faculty that they feel have been unfair to them.The writing is on edge and the style, while difficult to acclimate to, is easy to get a grip on once you read the first few pages. It becomes obvious from the beginning that both boys have serious issues and that nobody really takes either of them seriously. Their parents treat them as if they are going through the things every middle school kid goes through and the school administration just doesn't seem to notice all of the red flags that are present.The style and characters reminded me of Holden Caulfield with a much more modern message and language. That said, it is not nearly the same novel and has a message all its own. I completely enjoyed this novel and can see it being substituted into high school curricula in place of the more famous novel featuring Holden.

As a teacher, this book really struck a nerve with me, because every single word of it could happen (and, in some ways has). I enjoyed the story being told from the point of view of an antagonist who is both relatable and somewhat likeable. And though he is part of the plan to shoot up his school, as a reader, you find yourself feeling sorry for him and hoping against hope he decides not to go through with his plan.

It is an excellent and fast read. I found myself not wanting to put it down, but I should warn about the content. This is definitely more for adults rather than children and adolescents, so I would definitely pretend before giving to your sibling or children.

The kindest thing I can say is that there is no there there! These are not likable boys - they don’t like each other very much let alone themselves. By the time this mercifully comes to close one has no real insight as to why these kids are the way they are - yes bullying but there has to be a reason for them being the way they are and it goes further than just that. We get little glimpses into their lives but not much more.It is a story and it is well edited so I’ll give it 2 stars - but I wouldn’t suggest anyone read this.

written in first person present tense which I hate so I took off a star. good story but doesnt really explain emotions as well as i would like.

This was a very compelling read, that brought back uncomfortable memories of childhood. One can feel the despair and frustration of the characters, and their feeling of helplessness. My only complaint about the book is the very abrupt ending. I don't think its a spoiler to say that a Columbine-ish book is a story leading up to the big event..or not. The story gets to that final decision point...and then ends. All of three or four sentences are devoted to discussing what just happened.

I give it a 3.5. It is intense at parts and just sad in others. I felt bad for the boys, especially Edwin. And I really like how the mental evolution of Edwin is laid out, in the flashbacks. What exactly made him so depressed and angry?

For some reason in this kindle book, all words that start with a "K" are capitalized. Like "Kids" and "Know." It's very distracting. I imagine that its a problem with scanning the physical novel. Can't amazon get a digital text from the publisher?

I was quite surprised when I discovered the book was very dialogue-heavy as it's something I am constantly taught to steer away from when writing. However, the rapid spats between the main protagonist and his friend offer an unaltered insight into the naive thought process of a tormented middle schooler while the concerns of his family provide the crucial foundation of his humanity.

Das Buch ist sehr spannend. Wenn man angefangen hat es zu lesen kann mancnicht mehr aufhören. Außerdem ist es nicht so kompliziert zum Lesen.