Dear Life, You Suck Review

Author: Scott Blagden
Title: Dear Life, You Suck
Published: 03/26/2013
Good Reads-
“The shrinkadinks think I have a screw loose. Ain’t playing with a full deck. Whacked-out wiring. Missing marbles.” 

Irreverent, foulmouthed seventeen-year-old Cricket is the oldest ward in a Catholic boys’ home in Maine—and his life sucks. With prospects for the future that range from professional fighter to professional drug dealer, he seems doomed to a life of “criminal rapscallinity.” In fact, things look so bleak that Cricket can’t help but wonder if his best option is one final cliff dive into the great unknown. But then Wynona Bidaban steps into his world, and Cricket slowly realizes that maybe, just maybe, life doesn’t totally suck.

Review:

I don’t know what to think about this book. I guess it was okay. And I can’t find the right words to describe it, so I’ll just say what happens. So the book is told from Cricket’s POV, he’s our main character that went through some struggles in life and is currently trying to find his way. Cricket lives in a Catholic home for boys, and since he’s about to turn 18 and graduate he needs to figure out his next step. Dear Life, You Suck is supposed to be one of those heartwarming stories about a lost and broken soul finding their way in life. But honestly, all I can remember is the lame romance and funny yet seriously inappropriate jokes, which were mainly uncalled for. To me a lot of the crude humor was just a space filler to keep things from looking too empty, but they sorta were. I came into this book totally open minded and I think the biggest turn off for people is the language that Cricket narrates the story in. To me it didn’t add or take away from the story, it distracted from what was actually happening or lack of.

This is a really short and totally lame review, but I like, took forever to write it and completely forgot everything that happened which is my own fault. I just wanted to write something down, so whoever plans on reading Dear Life, You Suck can be a little more prepared, I guess. I could just make a bunch of jokes about how his life turned into choosing the lesser evil, which one he could handle, although that would be me doing the same space filler thing. The bottom line is that this book is a weird collaboration of a romance, (but too rushed to be emotional), inspirational (sorta maybe) and struggle. My favorite thing about the book and the most I could remember was how seriously Cricket took being a role model to the younger kids. Sure, he wasn’t perfect, and even far from it, but he always watched out for the little ones and their feelings. Which I thought was adorable.

Overall, Dear Life, You Suck kinda meant nothing to me; it wasn’t as empowering as I think it was written to be. Slightly enjoyable, and scores a 2.5 on my charts!