I can't believe he was 17 when he wrote this!
928432
Eragon is an amazing book. I borrowed it from a friend and read it in about 2 days, because I just couldn't put it down. The story is well thought out and well written. It is a wonderful read and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Tolkien, Harry Potter or Star Wars, because there are complex similarities to all three. I can't wait to read Eldest.
366154
I don't really know what to say about this book except that it is utterly ridiculous. The writing style is very strange. It's like all the sentences and thoughts are truncated. It's as if a seven year old child is writing this book and describing their life in the least amount of words and descriptions possible. I don't know. It was just totally bizarre. I'm glad I got it for free or else I would have been WAY WAY ticked off.
4265187
This had to be one of the biggest stinker bks I have read in a long time!  The bk is severely outdated (first published in 1985 and then re-issued in 1992), not only are the clothes out-dated, so are the thoughts and idea for the story.
I could have overlooked that but the part the really got me was that George the heroinne was supposed to be so mature at 23yrs old but I kept thinking she was acting like a 15 yr old!  What did Eliot see in her besides a pretty face and a knack at investing??!  An example of out dated writing is when the author wrote about a six mth pg where the mother decided to take up smoking and go on a drinking binge and the Dr. thinking that since it was only a wk of debauchery the baby would be okay.  HELLO!  Ever heard of fetal alcohol syndrome??  I thought this was poor thought by the author to have written this into the story.  It left me disgusted with the bk.
Do yourself a favour and don't buy this bk.
632934
I first read this book when I was about eleven years old, and I was enthralled. Thirty-three years later I found it on Amazon and, feeling nostalgic, I ordered it and read it again. I wish I wouldn't have. Horribly written. Factually lacking and bordering on laughable, I wonder now if that eleven year old reading this wasn't just glued to the pages by the copious use of the F-word. Reading this now, I am compelled to believe that, while loosely rooted in truth, the stories were mostly made up by the author, who never even served in any branch of the military. Boo.
1565309
I guess I shouldn't complain about a $1.00 book but I just could not believe how the author could expect his readers to be so inept.  The story started out sadly enough about the creation of our murderous main character, with good writing in his development.  However, as the story unfolds his utterly amazing intelligence only insults the intelligence of the reader.  He has zero education, was never even taught to speak correctly and we are to believe he is a master computer hacker?  a master investor with limitless income?  It is too bad, because the story itself could have been 4 stars had it not been for such a completely unbelievable main character!
2656178
At first i thougth he was going to be a 1 hit wonder. But he has alot to say, makes me wonder if his childhood was rougth. The only thing is the man can't his messages or lyrics without a curse after each word, maybe it's a way of stunning the young masses into buying his cd's. But, for the first time i saw editted cd's, so now i can get my 12 year old bro his cd's without my moms worrieing if the cd is to much for him. Thanks amazon!
2513907
First of all, why is Chuck trying to write as a 13 year-old girl? I would think, coming from another male with only one X chromosome, that it would be difficult to really comprehend a 13 year-old females mental process, especially at that age. Then, why is it that every book he puts out is filled with back-to-back ranting. I loved the part about Madison's mother, who reminded me of Christoph from The Truman Show, and her wireless control of the families' stable of houses across the world, but why the hell do I care if she, Madison, knows words that are not that technical? The idea for a hell filled with non-stop showings of The English Patient and other annoying things that people hate in everyday life was amazing, but it was just simply a great idea that failed to be what it could have been.
When Chuck comes out with a new book, I am running and stiff-arming everyone to get my copy of, what I hope to be, his next amazing read, but every time now I hit a brick wall of boredom. The constant ranting is like nails on a chalkboard when I read his work now. I feel that Chuck needs to take some time off then come back with a Magnum Opus that eclipses Flight club, and at least over 500 pages would be nice. These border-line novellas are building up and are honestly frustrating me. I love seeing a Chuck book come out every year, but I keep getting let down. It's about quaility, not quanitity!!
3931117
There's verbs and nearly a thousand other words missing!  There's only partial sentences, like "The boy came from behind the house with what a three wheeled bicycle that was at least a decade old."  Shouldn't that be "what /looked like/ a three wheeled ..."!?

Jezuzi!  It's like no one even bothered to beta read this before publishing it!  Yes, I'm a Grammer Freak, and I can accept Duncan's poor speech and writing because he's 'not as well educated', but when the /FREAKIN' NARRATOR/ can't write, it's pathetic!

I'm only giving it three stars because I liked the yaoi and the concept, otherwise, it was written terribly.
771339
This came out when I was in Junior High and I was mildly impressed with it. After having grown up since then I came across it and decided to re-read it. How I was naive enough to have (even as a 12 year old) believed that this was a real diary is astonishing to me now. Everything about the book screams "set-up". It's heart may be in the right place, but it's so clear that the writing was faked by an adult pretending to use be a teenage druggie that I found much of the book very funny, which was NOT it's intended effect. Furthermore,the errors in the actual descriptions of drug effects could only have been written by a non-drug user. If you can fool your pre-teen kids into believing this junk it might do some them some good. Probably not,it may just increase curiosity about drugs(which should ALWAYS be a consideration when teaching kids about drugs) as it did with me,and that does nobody any good. By the same fake author as "Jay's Journal", obviously written by the same person. Probably the so called "editor" of both books.

  Anybody older than 14 or so will instantly smell a rat. It's much better to get a book written by a REAL ex-drug user. You can't fake the horror written there and as with anti-drug speakers,the kids can sense when they're being told the truth about this kind of thing and if they feel lied to, they'll assume that ALL of the information they get about drugs is suspect.
379758
Every time I turned another page of this book, I encountered several cheesy one-liners!  I even started highlighting them to count.  There were at least two per PAGE.  Talk about overkill on the supposed drama.  The most objectionable part about this novel for me, however, was the author's complete disregard for how 11-year-olds REALLY think and speak.  Even an extremely perceptive and intelligent child wouldn't be capable of the insight that this girl has; she is simply too young for most of these complicated philosophies about life.  Example, you ask?  Sure!
"When I first spoke to the old man, I told him that my last name was winter, which I always keep in small letters in my mind, so it doesn't gain in importance.  Winter is something that should be lowercase, in my opinion.  Winter is to be feared.  Winter is to be endured.  That's what I believe to be true."
You can almost see the author's desperation to include these deep, dramatic insights!  It ends up coming off like a cheesy Lifetime TV movie.
I'm sorry I picked this book up.  I think I'm going to re-read David Sedaris' and Wally Lambs' books so I can rebuild my faith in modern writers.
1054851
I don't get it - 419 people actually got through this? And half of those gave it high reviews? After this sentence in chapter one, I closed it. "What Shorty couldn't know what that the young man had realized the trap, although too late, when he glimpsed the remaining gang members block the opening to the alley."  This is the feel through the first chapter.  I am sorry I cannot get further into this book in the hopes there may be a redeeming story line - this sounds like something an elementary school kid would write.  Could the author do better?  Of course!!! He needs to learn grammar and sentence structure and, if he did, he might become a great author!

Has America become this illiterate that it accepts this kind of writing and thinks it's good writing?  Heck, if that's the case, I'm going to write this caliber, hire a book rating company, and sell similar.  It makes me mad this kind of stuff actually makes it into Amazon Books.
4166602
I was in no way shape or form "Mildly Satisfied" with this book. As many other reviewers have stated, the premise of this book is what intrigued me. the idea of the rescuing the cursed tiger really caught my interest. But unlike others I couldn't even get through half of the book, let alone a third of the book. As of right now i'm stuck on page 69, the very beginning of chapter 6.

Kelsey is stated as being a 18 year old young woman. She's just graduated high school and has now been accepted into college. I will be honest, when I was 18 I was not the most mature and probably not the smartest, but I have never met an 18 year old who speaks like Kelsey, ever. Honestly, Kelsey speaks like an idiot, like she's a twelve year old trying to sound smarter and older then she really is.

I could hardly progress in the story because my mind just couldn't wrap around the fact that an 18 year old was telling this story.

There was room for so much potential in this book, but the author just skims over the scenes she should have expanded on and skips ahead to completely pointless nonsense. As in, the circus arc should have had more time, we should have been shown how Kelsey and Dhiren grew closer, we shouldn't have just been told. Whereas, the Airplane scene should have been like a page, maybe two. All that talk of the bathroom and meals was unnecessary and took away from the story.

I know I haven't read even half the book, but I just couldn't do it, and I tried so hard. I hate to give up on books, and I hate to not finish them. But I would seriously recommend, to any one seriously considering this book, to first check it out from your local library.

Do not waste your money on this book until you have read it, and you're sure you like it.
4162206
No more Charlotte Church, OK?  The record companies have milked her for all she's worth, and that's a shame.  But a 16-year old (her age at the time this CD came out) with a "Greatest Hits" album?!  You've got to be joking!  The money grubbing doesn't get any more blatant than this.  She's 18 now (and quite well off financially), and spends much of her time on vacations with various boyfriends, smoking, eating (seen pictures of her of late - she's packed on some major poundage), and partying.  You might say that's "normal" 18-year old, rebellious behavior.  I call it shameful, especially on her parent's part. Charlotte, do something with your life!
3399390
As the mother of two African American teens, I felt that Mr. Tyree wrote an excellent book that could get the teens interested. He covered all aspects of being a teenager. I tried, but was unsuccessful at keeping this  book from my 17 year old son who is not a reader. He saw himself and his  friends in this book.  However, there was no need for the vulgarity. This  book could have been recommended reading for 16 and over if not for the  unnecessary, highly descriptive sex. I think our young authors should start  thinking about reaching our young would be readers. Leave something to the  imagination next time like you did with Single MOM!
2023391
It is very dry reading.  His ego comes through like a tank at times.  Boy, what a sense of self he has.
Also, in the middle of tape 18, it skipped back and forth for the rest of the tape.  It's way too long, and i didn't come out of this a better or smarter person.  The whole thing just left me bleah!!!
4006423
GEEZ, the book is writ' like a 12 year old kid, yet this man claims to have a big degree--whats more is he adds NOTHING of substance to the stories we may have read in Miles' autobio., or other works...just a bunch of regurgitation of stories already in print--and boring too--nothing to capture your attention too long, and trust me, I've read all I can find on Miles....

His own writing has a "Jekyl and Hyde" of its own in that one minute he hails his dad and the next he nails him....so, perhaps this schizophrenic energy has rubbed off, who knows...

all I know is I am GLAD that I got it used....

another thing is the annoying fact that he skips around like a kid on a jump rope--one minute your lost in the haze of the 70's, the next your sitting in Birdland waiting for Miles to play alongside Bird....

the only thing I liked this book for is the few rare photos in color that it has....

finally, when it comes to Miles, I am not hard to please--JUST GIMME MILES! but here, its hard to believe it was writ' by his OWN SON--and I think this is the reason I am so taken aback by the lack of inspiration or content....

maybe Squeaky can do a better job heh?
162629
By my calculation this autor is quite old...

I wonder how much of "his" works he actually writes...Just saying.

Ex fan