Stand-Off by Andrew Smith Review (SPOILERS)
Hi guys,
Im going to be reviewing Stand-off by Andrew Smith.
THIS REVIEW INCLUDES SPOILERS FOR BOTH WINGER AND STAND-OFF!!!!!
Let me just start off by saying that I really was not expecting to finish this book today. I started it today and I thought maybe I'd finish it tomorrow if I had the time. But no. I finished it today. AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! I'm not sure which ranks higher, this or Winger. But then again Winger completely tore out my heart but was that a good or a bad thing? Anyways, into the actual review for this book, its 11:25 PM right now where I am and I just got home from hockey practice so all I want to do is sleep but I wanted to write this review more so here it goes....
At only 70 pages in, I hit that high point, that point that you reach in a really good book where you feel like if you stop, you might just explode, so I didn't stop. At first I didn't really like how mean Ryan Dean was to the Abernathy/Snack-Pack/Joe Randomkid/Sam Abernathy, but I understood it, as a senior, he wanted what he deserved and to not be stuck with some 12 year old. I get that. Going off of this, the one thing that I REALLY love about Andrew Smith's writing style in this is that it is so raw and true, it is exactly how a teenage boy would think and act and in the style that he wrote it in too, it seemed so true, it could have been a memoir. Which I don't know if you guys know this, but I love memoirs.
Anyways...
I thought that the plot was really strong in this book, the plot twist introduction of Joey's younger brother Nico was so well-done and perfect for this book. I thought that his addition to the story really gave me a sort of closure over Joey's death which actually made me bawl my eyes out right at the kitchen table. I thought it was a little weird how Nico and Ryan Dean were all conflicting like they hated each other but were also kind of friends at the same time. But in the end, I didn't really find that a problem.
Another thing, as a person who struggles with panic attacks at random moments of my life, I really liked how Smith wrote those parts of Ryan Dean's life, they felt very real and I knew what he was talking. Which brings me to another point of that I really enjoyed having this psychological aspect of the book. I thought that the NATE "character" (I guess you could call him that) was really interesting.
Something that I always find awesome about these two books are the rugby aspects of them. I didn't really know that much about rugby before reading these books, but now I feel like I could watch a game and not be confused at all.
I thought it was really cool how Andrew Smith wrote in the sexuality aspects of the book, like they were well-done and not done in a cheesy way or just to be there to be there kind of deal, but they were a legit part.
Really I just have too much to say about this book and it is so late now and I don't think my brain or my heart can handle talking about this book anymore.
Stand-off by Andrew Smith is a heart-wrenching, raw-to-the-bone story that makes you feel like you are in the mind of 15 year old senior/human napkin Ryan Dean Mario West.
Thanks for reading (and surviving that rant of a review),
Delaney M.
Im going to be reviewing Stand-off by Andrew Smith.
THIS REVIEW INCLUDES SPOILERS FOR BOTH WINGER AND STAND-OFF!!!!!
Let me just start off by saying that I really was not expecting to finish this book today. I started it today and I thought maybe I'd finish it tomorrow if I had the time. But no. I finished it today. AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! I'm not sure which ranks higher, this or Winger. But then again Winger completely tore out my heart but was that a good or a bad thing? Anyways, into the actual review for this book, its 11:25 PM right now where I am and I just got home from hockey practice so all I want to do is sleep but I wanted to write this review more so here it goes....
At only 70 pages in, I hit that high point, that point that you reach in a really good book where you feel like if you stop, you might just explode, so I didn't stop. At first I didn't really like how mean Ryan Dean was to the Abernathy/Snack-Pack/Joe Randomkid/Sam Abernathy, but I understood it, as a senior, he wanted what he deserved and to not be stuck with some 12 year old. I get that. Going off of this, the one thing that I REALLY love about Andrew Smith's writing style in this is that it is so raw and true, it is exactly how a teenage boy would think and act and in the style that he wrote it in too, it seemed so true, it could have been a memoir. Which I don't know if you guys know this, but I love memoirs.
Anyways...
I thought that the plot was really strong in this book, the plot twist introduction of Joey's younger brother Nico was so well-done and perfect for this book. I thought that his addition to the story really gave me a sort of closure over Joey's death which actually made me bawl my eyes out right at the kitchen table. I thought it was a little weird how Nico and Ryan Dean were all conflicting like they hated each other but were also kind of friends at the same time. But in the end, I didn't really find that a problem.
Another thing, as a person who struggles with panic attacks at random moments of my life, I really liked how Smith wrote those parts of Ryan Dean's life, they felt very real and I knew what he was talking. Which brings me to another point of that I really enjoyed having this psychological aspect of the book. I thought that the NATE "character" (I guess you could call him that) was really interesting.
Something that I always find awesome about these two books are the rugby aspects of them. I didn't really know that much about rugby before reading these books, but now I feel like I could watch a game and not be confused at all.
I thought it was really cool how Andrew Smith wrote in the sexuality aspects of the book, like they were well-done and not done in a cheesy way or just to be there to be there kind of deal, but they were a legit part.
Really I just have too much to say about this book and it is so late now and I don't think my brain or my heart can handle talking about this book anymore.
Stand-off by Andrew Smith is a heart-wrenching, raw-to-the-bone story that makes you feel like you are in the mind of 15 year old senior/human napkin Ryan Dean Mario West.
Thanks for reading (and surviving that rant of a review),
Delaney M.
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