Blog Tour: Grasshopper Jungle

I received this book for free from Blog Tour, FTC: Exchange for honest opinion, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
Published by Penguin Group USA on February 20, 2014
Genres: Action & Adventure, Humorous Stories, Monsters, Survival Stories, Young Adult
Source: Blog Tour, FTC: Exchange for honest opinion, Publisher
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In this truly shocking, grotesquely original coming-of-age, end-of-the-world novel, sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the legacy of his family's history in Poland and emigration to the United States while narrating the story of how he and his best friend brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, human-sized (six-foot-tall) praying mantises in small-town Iowa. To make matters worse, Austin's hormones are totally oblivious; they don't care that the world is in utter chaos: Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but remains confused about his sexual orientation, stewing in a self-professed constant state of maximum horniness, directed at both Robby and Shann. Ultimately, it's up to Austin to save the world and propagate the species in this sci-fright journey of survival, sex, and the complex realities of the human condition. ?Grasshopper Jungle is a cool/passionate, gay/straight, male/female, absurd/real, funny/moving, past/present, breezy/profound masterpiece of a book. Every time you think you've figured it out, you haven't. Every time you're sure Andrew Smith must do this, he does that instead. Grasshopper Jungle almost defies description because description can only rob the reader of the pleasure of surrendering to a master storyteller. Original, weird, sexy, thought-provoking and guaranteed to stir controversy. One hell of a book.” ? Michael Grant, New York Times bestselling author of the Gone series ?Andrew Smith is the bravest storyteller I know. Grasshopper Jungle is the most intelligent and gripping book I've read in over a decade. I didn't move for two days until I had it finished. Trust me. Pick it up right now. It's a masterpiece.” ? A. S. King, Printz Honor-winning author of Ask the Passengers and Please Ignore Vera Dietz ?In Grasshopper Jungle, it's as if Andrew Smith is somehow possessed by the ghost of Kurt Vonnegut. This book is nothing short of a brilliant, hilarious thrill-ride that is instantly infectious. But, the most beautiful thing about Grasshopper Jungle has nothing to do with the absurd or out-of-this-world. It is the deft hand by which Smith explores teenage love and sexuality that is truly breathtaking. In writing a history of the end of the world, Smith may have just made history himself.” ? John Corey Whaley, Printz Award-winning author of Where Things Come Back

I can honestly say that this is the first book that I have read that has the word “horny” in the synopsis. I have seen it in a book when I read it, but never have I seen it before in the synopsis and I have to say that it is pretty cool. This is one way to catch a reader’s attention. I feel that the author is just straight forward and I know that some reader’s like it this way and I knew that this would be a book worth reading.

Besides the 6 feet tall praying mantises, this book is a person’s reality. This book shows everything teenagers go through now a day. I cannot say that everyone thinks these thoughts or question things but there are so many people that have these thoughts and whether they tell people, write it in a journal, or keep it to themselves, people questions things every day.

The main character Austin is the perfect representation of a teenager. Austin is a person who questions religion, his sexuality and I feel that some teenagers go through this. It is normal and is something should not be looked down upon. Austin writes everything in a journal and records what happens. This is his time to reflect on what happened to him. His friend Robbie and his girlfriend share a great friendship and he writes his feeling for both of them in his journal. This journal is the beginning of the end of the world.

I swear that I would run screaming if I heard that there were praying mantises running around town, causing terror. How they would multiply freaked me out as the words painted a picture in my mind. Yuck. Oh my goodness. That is all I can on that.

Overall this book was one that I wish would have kept going. This book is the reality of a teenager’s mind. This book made me rethink how a book can just grab you and take you on an adventure. I am glad that I took this adventure with these characters. I recommend that you take this journey and see how one’s journey can impact your life and make you think.

I give this book 5 bites!

About the Author

Andrew Smith is the award-winning author of several Young Adult novels, including the critically acclaimed Winger (Starred reviews inPublishers Weekly, Kirkus, Booklist, and Shelf Awareness—an Amazon “Best of the Year,” and an ALA Top 10 for 2014) and The Marbury Lens(A YALSA BFYA, and Starred reviews and Best of the Year in bothPublishers Weekly and Booklist). He is a native-born Californian who spent most of his formative years traveling the world. His university studies focused on Political Science, Journalism, and Literature. He has published numerous short stories and articles. Grasshopper Jungle, a starred novel by Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, andShelf Awareness, is his seventh novel. He lives in Southern California.

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Contact me at:

 andrew@ghostmedicine.com | andrew@authorandrewsmith.com

Author’s Blog:

http://ghostmedicine.blogspot.com

Find me on Twitter and Instagram: @marburyjack

Find me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/andrewsmithwritesbooks

*GIVEAWAY*

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CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE TOUR:

Grasshopper Jungle Tour Schedule

February 3rd – The Midnight Garden

February 3rd – The Story Siren

February 4th – Good Choice Reading

February 4th – Bookish

February 5th – I Read Banned Books

February 5th – Jenna Does Books

February 6th – Bibliophilia, Please

February 6th – Escaping One Book At A Time

February 7th – Scott Reads It

February 7th – Live to Read

February 10th – Alice Marvels

February 10th – The Society

February 11th – Lexi Swoons

February 11th – A Reader of Fictions

February 12th – Roof Beam Reader

February 12th – Forever Young Adult

February 13th – The Compulsive Reader

February 13th – Books and Bling

February 14th – Book Chic Club

February 14th – The QQQE

February 17th – JeanBookNerd

February 17th – Ticket to Anywhere

February 18th – Sleep Eat Read Books

February 18th – Read Now Sleep Later

February 19th – Anna Reads

February 19th – Word Spelunking

February 20th – Books With Bite

February 20th – What A Nerd Girl Says

February 20th – Dizneeee’s World of Books

February 21st – Wastepaper Prose

February 21st – LRB – Guest

February 24th – We Are Word Nerds

February 24th – Cabin Goddess

February 25th – Ex Libris

February 25th – Cari’s Book Blog

February 25th – A Good Addiction

February 26th – YA Reads

February 26th – The Young Folks

February 27th – Novel Thoughts

February 27th – Fangirlish

February 28th – Once Upon a Twilight

February 28th – Naughty Book Kitties

 

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Happy Reading!