March 03, 2014

Reviewing... [58] Half My Facebook Friends Are Ferrets

It didn't actually make me want to get my Facebook account back. Should it'd have done? Nooo, there's not THAT many ferrets on Facebook. Half of Josh's FB friends isn't telling us a lot anyway. Are there more cats on FB?
Check out my interview with Josh here. Cats or dogs? What do you think?

Reviewing... [58]

Source: Received for honest review... they had no idea.
Publisher: Curious Fox
Author: J.A Buckle
Recommended For: I think lots of people will like this. But you've probably realised how little male protagonists are in YA?

Hmm... J.A. Buckle. Is it me or might you assume, if you didn't know, a male author is writing a novel from a male POV? Well, it's a female but still- hold that thought. I believe she can write from a male perspective. I'm still as much a girl as ever but, somehow... I feel like I've been let into this secret about guys. *gasp* It's not impossible to understand guys? I obviously cannot say if it's accurate for most boys but I found I could totally believe it. Obviously, boys, you still need to read it. But girls, we don't know, even as readers where the best books suck us in and make us feel like we're there, having these thoughts. You don't get to be inside a guy's head like you do in Facebook Ferrets very often... With wit, honesty and twisted charm, we're opened up to the world of much more than Ferrets.

The overwhelming thought for me during HMFBAF was -->

If you don't understand the body language (bit weirder than mine): HOW? 
How does a book go from being the funniest book ever (definitely still close, those quotes!) to so... different as well? It started off as just so light-hearted, I felt like I could only read it in short bursts or my sides would split open... Also, it helped that I never wait for my kindle to fully charge so it would be like, BAM. Not enough charge now. STOP READING!
I got to the point where, NO. I was going to finish this. I had to. I wasn't going to: a) Stop because it wasn't the most gripping (it's mainly the format- you wouldn't write a diary in 4 hours... or whatever & I feel like I want to read it with breaks so it's a bit more like experiencing a diary) b) Stop because the watermarks were a little strange (the longer you read with it for tho, the better it gets. Genuinely). c) IT'S BETTER JUST TO STOP & LAUGH. Then I'd write it on Goodreads so everyone else knew. Even though I'm probably breaking the system which I don't understand. I wanted others to laugh with me :)

In the end, who cared if I did get to share every funny quote with the few people who'll actually bother to read the quotes? Plus, it opened up.
Funny & serious. I can't even do it justice but I want to leave it at that.  It's always nice to be funny but it was so much richer when I was experiencing something light & humorous one minute and in the same paragraph...
Ideally quicker & less... sciencey.
SWITCH. Now I'm not laughing. I'm gawping. That's a serious issue, there. *points at random paragraph illustrating my point* (I may even have put one on Goodreads). It gets deeper! It gives you stuff to think about more. It even could seem a little down... But Josh copes with it & I cannot express my love enough for his POV. It's raw and... just Josh. Just teenage boy with brain cells.
Josh is SO quiet though. He thinks of what he'd like to say but a large proportion of the time doesn't. He's a bit of a chicken that way ;) At first it irritated me but I'm probably not someone who understands me so it took a while. I warmed to him in various ways & the reasons are too broad... It's hard to put my finger on it *clumsy jabbing of finger* He's just a decent guy, in most ways. He's kind to animals and he doesn't pry in others secrets, even when he could. He has insensitive moments but they're explored and he grows...
 I think any reader would really enjoy his overall personality shining through the Diary too. I can't think of any book which is like this in this respect. No book has similar characters, so many different plot lines (which make an awesome web which no consumer or producer could ruin) and is so quick to change from comedy to an issue far from funny (even though Josh can be light about it so it doesn't really weigh you down).
That's when it became easier to read. I wish I'd got to that point sooner. I'm gonna say it again (I feel so bad!), how did it take me as long as it did? I'm not sure how long but it must've been a few weeks even being one of Curious Fox's smallest reads. Even if you don't get out as much of it as I think I did you will still have read a great book which is unlike many other YA books around now. Why wouldn't you get the same stuff as FB ferrets from me? I don't think it's just me who thinks it's legendary.
WAIT FOR IT... dary!
Don't make the mistake of thinking it's too boyish (just because we don't get enough male protagonists these days!) or too light. Facebook Ferrets has got real meaning in there & is worth a read. Why not just pick it up right now?... The topics discussed inside this book pack a punch- it only took about 200 pages (yes, tiny)! 
It's relatable and rather British (always a plus, thinks the biased brit). The school antedotes- and how there will be random facts etc. about equations or something- are extra pluses. I apparently can take more of GCSE's but the themes of FB ferrets doesn't stop there. Oh, no... From peer pressure, family relationships (as chaotic as they get & as psychotic as he finds his family still awesome!) and girls (and other ambitions... he has a few), and lastly to music (eh, I can't really imagine them as metal songs* but you'll love some of his song lyrics- Raining Inside Me I found best!)... 
He seems to be lonesome in his metalheadness (and it's not fun what happens sometimes with that!) but he has mates. His friends are a mixed bunch & I think it's creative. But seriously, how are they even friends? It's a tad unbelievable... Yet I admire the ability to write them all so well & bring them to life, as if they're some guy we've just walked past in the school corridors. 

FB ferrets is just (probably more so in paperback so go & buy it! XD) an easy read I'd recommend, in summary. *taps foot* I'd love to know what you're waiting for (if it's for you to get to the front of the queue in the bookshop to buy it then that's OK!). Yet, I may be off to stroke my cat & thank him for being an easier pet than a ferret. Not necessarily as fun to read about...

QUICK! Rating!
Amy Bookworm rated Half My Facebook Friends Are Ferrets
(Psst...Really liked it!)

Bye for now!

*To help us imagine the music they even made some of his lyrics into a song (love that too!) Hopefully you'll also like the Ferrets. But as Jackie told readers at the end, a ferret probably isn't for you sadly...

1 comment:

mellimum said...

Read it in 2 hrs... So bit quicker than u!!
Some great lines (NOT the chat ups tho!) ,
yes his friends are weird bunch (based on inbetweeners??) ,
& at start josh reminded me of orig 13 3/4 Adrian mole (prob references to teen boy sex drive??) yuk!
Was totally misled by Ned (thought he'd be the GRANDDAD!!) ,
was glad & not surprised he managed to do all of his list, but did feel the ending came abruptly!! Wanted to find out his exam results and new friends at college!!
*hint to author* (please forward this request if you have direct link to her!) x

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