Great American Whatever (Prebound)
Staff Reviews
I flew through The Great American Whatever in a single sitting, as it was one of those books that was so well executed, I didn't want to put it down. Tim Federle is an author that knows his characters well. I was immediately engaged and wanted to know more about them. On top of his wonderfully crafted characters, Federle's dialogue is as authentic and realistic as it gets. For fans of Perks of Being a Wallflower and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, The Great American Whatever is sure to strike a chord with anyone who reads it.
— Heather H.
A beautiful, honest and hilarious novel about growing through your grief. Quinn Roberts loses his sister when she dies in a car accident. Now his ambitions and purpose in life has come to a standstill. If not for his best friend, Geoff, he might never leave the house. When Geoff convinces Quinn to go to a college party with him, Quinn meets a hot guy who jump-starts his heart again and encourages him to start taking part in his own life. I can't imagine losing my sisters. But I know what it's like to lose a family member without warning. Tim Federle deftly navigates the frustration and hopelessness of never getting to say goodbye, of experiencing guilt despite the circumstances, and feeling so singular in your grief. However, through all this, he shows us that it's okay to remember the person you lost and still look forward to your own future, while sharing a laugh, or two, or three, with current and new loved ones along the way. Whether you've lost someone or not, this novel will make you laugh and encourage you to follow your dreams.
— BrandiDescription
From the award-winning author of Five, Six, Seven, Nate and Better Nate Than Ever comes a Holden Caulfield for a new generation (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
Quinn Roberts is a sixteen-year-old smart aleck and Hollywood hopeful whose only worry used to be writing convincing dialogue for the movies he made with his sister Annabeth. Of course, that was all before before Quinn stopped going to school, before his mom started sleeping on the sofa and before the car accident that changed everything.
Enter: Geoff, Quinn's best friend who insists it's time that Quinn came out at least from hibernation. One haircut later, Geoff drags Quinn to his first college party, where instead of nursing his pain, he meets a guy okay, a hot guy and falls, hard. What follows is an upside-down week in which Quinn begins imagining his future as a screenplay that might actually have a happily-ever-after ending if, that is, he can finally step back into the starring role of his own life story.