Me Being Me Is Exactly as Insane as You Being You

March 23, 2015
Darren's father shows up before school one morning and informs Darren that he's gay. This sends 15-year-old Darren into a tailspin of wondering about his parents' former marriage, and what this means for him and his older brother, Nate. With Nate's approval, Darren leaves school to visit his brother at the University of Michiganâmuch to his parents' chagrin. When Zooey, an intense girl from school, unexpectedly tags along with him, Darren fumbles his way into a romance and is reassured about his own sexuality (since his father's confession, he has wondered if he's gay, too). Hasak-Lowy (33 Minutes) presents Darren's ruminations and experiences entirely via a series of numbered lists written in a deadpan third-person voice (a hookup scene is entitled "6 Things They Do," with entries that include Kiss, Breathe, Finish, and Pass Out). As Darren struggles to gain some form of control over events in his life and negotiate his preconceptions about homosexuality, Hasak-Lowy maintains a sweet, acerbically funny, and often painfully honest tone. Ages 14âup. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House.

January 1, 2015
Darren does his best to process his father's coming out by chasing the girl of his dreams.Things in Darren's life have changed a lot over the last few months. His older brother has gone off to college, his parents are recently divorced, and now his father has chosen to officially come out of the closet. In a desperate attempt to get away from it all, Darren catches a bus to his brother's school, with the mysterious and beautiful Zoey along for the ride. After an unforgettable night, Zoey disappears, and Darren continues to try and pick up the pieces. Telling Darren's story entirely in a series of lists, the author hides his paint-by-numbers narrative behind an eye-catching gimmick. The first few dozen lists are cute, but even the most indulgent readers will roll their eyes at the novel's 640-page bulk, over twice the size of The Catcher in the Rye. Making matters worse are the paper-thin characters. Zoey is a typical Manic Pixie Dream Girl; Darren is a whiny limp noodle who somehow attracts not just Zoey, but other girls as well, making the story feel more like wish-fulfillment at times than anything else. Too self-conscious for its own good. (Fiction. 12-16)

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January 1, 2015

Gr 8 Up-Three reasons Darren Jacobs is having a tough year: His parents have gotten a divorce and his dad reveals a truth that sends him reeling; his brother Nate has just moved out of the house to go to college, leaving Darren to deal with the fallout of his parents' split on his own; and he's torn between two girls-Zoey Lovell, who is a troubled, elusive, and artistic enigma who Darren can't seem to get out of his mind and sweet, wholesome Rachel Madsen, who is supportive and cheerful. Hasak-Lowy's debut YA novel is told entirely in lists-slightly disorienting at first, but which quickly becomes an integral part of Darren's voice. In terse, engaging prose, this novel of lists traces the teen's awkward yet heart-tuggingly true-to-life relationships with his parents, his older brother, and with the girls who are entering his life. Readers will relish and recognize the playful and profanity-tinged banter between the brothers as well as Darren's conflicted feelings as he analyzes (and overthinks) each scenario and interaction he has with Zoey, Rachel, Nate's college roommate, a new member of his band, his dad, and his mom. This novel might be great for reluctant readers due to its brief and inventive style, although younger teens might want to beware of the occasional depictions of drug and alcohol use. Although the characters are authentic and appealing, several plot threads are left dangling, which makes the ending feel a little rushed and abrupt.-Evelyn Khoo Schwartz, Georgetown Day School, Washington, DC

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2015
Grades 9-12 His parents' divorce was difficult enough for Darren, especially since, almost simultaneously, his brother Nate left for college and his best friend moved away. But then his dad, chocolate doughnut in hand, appears at 6 a.m. to announce to Darren that he is gay. Time to escape! Darren talks the barely known, somewhat freaky Zoey Lovell into driving him to the bus stationand she decides to come along. Thus begins his challenging journey of self-reflection and understanding, warts and all. Hasak-Lowy relies on a series of lists to reveal Darren's struggle as he tries to reconcile his father's homosexuality with his own budding adulthood. It makes for a powerful stream of consciousness that allows readers insight into Darren's conflicting feelings not just about his parents but also Nate's fall from grace and his own frustration with his attraction to bad-girl Zoey rather than the obviously delightful Rachel. It's a sometimes humorous, somewhat sobering character study of growing up male in the midst of new family and friend configurations.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)