Review: The Haters by Jesse Andrews
Title: The Haters
Author: Jesse Andrews
Pages: 336
Publisher: Amulet Books
Publish Date: April 5, 2016
Genre: New Adult
Synopsis: From Jesse Andrews, author of the New York Times bestselling Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and screenwriter of the Sundance award–winning motion picture of the same name, comes a groundbreaking young adult novel about music, love, friendship, and freedom as three young musicians follow a quest to escape the law long enough to play the amazing show they hope (but also doubt) they have in them.
Inspired by the years he spent playing bass in a band himself, The Haters is Jesse Andrews's road trip adventure about a trio of jazz-camp escapees who, against every realistic expectation, become a band.
For Wes and his best friend, Corey, jazz camp turns out to be lame. It's pretty much all dudes talking in Jazz Voice. But then they jam with Ash, a charismatic girl with an unusual sound, and the three just click. It's three and a half hours of pure musical magic, and Ash makes a decision: They need to hit the road. Because the road, not summer camp, is where bands get good. Before Wes and Corey know it, they're in Ash's SUV heading south, and The Haters Summer of Hate Tour has begun.
In his second novel, Andrews again brings his brilliant and distinctive voice to YA, in the perfect book for music lovers, fans of The Commitments andHigh Fidelity, or anyone who has ever loved—and hated—a song or a band. This witty, funny coming-of-age novel is contemporary fiction at its best.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgallery in exchange for an honest review. This will not affect my decision in any way.
Cover: The simplicity just gets to me. I love the colors used, and the headphones. It fits The Haters perfectly.
Characters: The realness of this group of characters shocks me. They have so many problems, and they are so well written.
Corey irritated me. He has some serious problems. If he was my friend, I would probably end up hitting him in the face. He was so rude and awkward. I felt bad for him a lot of the time.
Plot: Alright, I loved it. The struggle an up-and-coming band goes through while basically on the run. There was never a dull moment! There was always something happening to the trio, and it was exciting. The things they managed to get themselves in, holy crap, I would be terrified if I was in the situation.
The humor seemed like it was trying to hard at points. It was like Andrews was a Dad trying to sound cool to his kid and his kid’s friends. But some of it was actually ridiculously funny. During the second half of the novel, I was laughing out loud. It could be really funny at points.
Ending: Not exactly where I saw it going, but I loved the realness of it. There were so many damages that normally wouldn’t be mentioned in a novel or movie, but Andrews reminds us that there are consequences to our actions. I loved the ending.
Overall: The Haters was a good read. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. It was nice, and could be really deep at times. The characters and adventure were probably the highest points. The Haters was very well-written and different from your usual book. I liked the change in formats; it kept things interesting.
About the Author
Jesse Andrews’s debut novel, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, a New York Times and USA Today bestseller, was published to critical acclaim and starred reviews. His adaptation of the book for the big screen won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Jesse is also a musician and screenwriter. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts. Visit Jesse at www.jesseandrews.com.
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