1/31/10 The War Mountains

John Mannock's fictional story about the war in Yugoslavia is tremendous. It is simply a great read with a great background and plot. During World War 2, there is a large conflict in Yugoslavia between the Nazis and the partisans. Despite it being 1944 and the war drawing to a close, the war continues and this area seems to have an unending conflict. With Hitler trying to figure out how to use his forces, he organizes a new division of the SS which takes recruita from the Middle East. He uses the grudges between the Muslims and Christians in Yugoslovia to gain support for his side. However, it is evident that the war is not going the way Hitler wanted it to and that the partisans and Nazis are roughly at a stalemate. This is where John Mannock proves himself to be a creative writer. Not only are all battle scenes vividly detailed, but shows the anger brewing on both sides. After one of the SS troops is killed, the partisan commander praises the killer. He claims that "'when [they] get an opportunity to kill them, [they] do so with considerable relish'" (92). Besides making up a fake unit and storyline, Mannock uses real characters such as Himmler, Hitler, and Tito. As he describes the new campaign the partisans are on, his twist and turns within the story keep the reader on his toes.

End of Youth in Revolt

I have almost finished Youth in Revolt and I now see why the book has to be classified as a great read. Its hilarious comedy through the use of the weirdest situations does not end. Everything seemed to be going well for Nick Twisp for a short time. Having taken on the fake persona of Carlotta, Nick was living in the same house as Sheeni and was able to see her every day. Then on one miraculous day Nick got the news that he was no "filthy, stinking, obnoxiously rich! [He was] wallowing in wealth. [He was] green with proseperity"(448). Nick seemed to have everything he could have ever wanted. That was until C.D.Payne showed us yet another twist as Nich faced "FRESH HORRIBLE, NIGHTMARISH DISASTERS" (467). These included him losing his newly found wealth and him then becoming homeless. Mind you, this is almost near the end of the book. C.D.Payne does not let up on the onsluaght of events that seem to make the reader laugh and read more and more each time. The author has made young Nich Twisp a relatable character that seems to end up in situations that no one else could attempt to. This story is truly a classic tail of comedy from start to finish.

Youth in Revolt by C.D.Payne

Youth in Revolt is a story of a teenage boy who goes to the most extreme measures to be with the girl he loves. Nick Twisp starts off as a 14-year old boy with an unsympathetic mother, a non-caring father, and his mother's boyfriend who is as dumb as they come. He hates everything about life, well his life at least. He even complains how his last name "which [he loathes] is Twisp" and how "even John Wayne on a horse would look effeminate pronouncing that name" (1). He reluctantly goes with his mother and her boyfriend to Clear Lake for a small vacation. Instead of a nice hotel, they stay in a dirty old trailer. It is here where Nick meets Sheeni, who turns out to be the one person who might like him back out of anyone.
However, when they both go back home, Nick formulates plans to get close to her again. These plans end up in him committing false suicide, arson, possible forgery, and hilarious situations that only lead him further into hardships. As the story progresses, the reader finds that young Nick Twisp is more influenced by his arrogance then anything and for some reason decides to make matters worse instead of solving them.
These matters include taking on the identity of two fake people and constantly trying to find ways to fix situations by creating others. Throughout the story, his dad, his mom, his love (Sheeni), his best friend (Lefty), and the people he meets end up getting mixed up in these crazy incidents.
His story is told in a similar way as Catcher in the Rye as both characters have pessimistic views on the world. Still, Nick Twisp provides a much more hilarious and common character than Holden Caufield . Although Nick gets into outrageously impossible situations, he acts more like a human being than Holden does. While Holden moped around and argued with everyone, Nick would simply find a way to embarrass himself.
C.D.Payne decided to create a story about a character and a plot so funny that it makes you wonder how you could have thought other books were even close to funny. The hilarious jokes and dangerous ideas that flood young Nick's mind give you an insight into a funny, yet crazy teenager.
The book is great for almost any reader. Those who like stories about teenage troubles would love this as would anyone who likes a good comedy. And for those who hate the world but find stuff to laugh about, this is exactly your book.

1/10/10 Youth In Revolt

Youth in Revolt by C.D.Payne seems to be a great read with a hilarious narration. It tells of a simple 14-year old who is obsessed with sex and everything related to it. He has to deal with his father, an uncaring and unsympathetic person. He has to deal with his mother, a uncaring and unsympathetic person who, and her deadbeat boyfriend. Nick Twisp, the main character, is faced with tons of problems as he goes on a vacation, if you can call it that, to Clear Lake to stay in a trailer for a week. When he meets Sheeni, his whole world seems upside down as he becomes happy beyond belief when he grows close to her until he learns she has a boyfriend. This is as far as I got. The story seems to be similar to the plot of Catcher in the Rye as it goes through a journey of a young man. However, this story involves more comedy and a hilarious outake on life unlike Holden Caufield's which involved mostly depressed moments full of ignorance. The book is a great read due to its writing and hilarious comments which are waiting at every corner. After a nice moment with Sheeni on a hike, Nick claims that they "hiked on. For twelve miles. In the heat. Straight up. [His] feet never touched the ground." (32). Nick's silly little comments give the reader an insight into his life that is very rare in other books.

1/3/2010 Kitchen Boy of the Last Tsar

After finishing the book, I was amazed at the ending. Usually, books like these do not have endings that satisfy the mystery that they create. Instead, in this story the main character's entire plot and storyline has turned out to be a lie. Misha (now called Leoneka) told his granddaughter that he was the kitchen boy of the Tsar's family and the he accidentally led to their deaths. He stated that he was the one who ended up saving the Grand Duchess and tried to save Aliskei. Unbeknown to the reader, Misha is lying. His grandaughter later finds out that her grandfather's name was actually Volodya and he was one of the gaurds that killed the Tsar's family. Kate (the grandaughter) is confused but she "understood it could be no other way.......Her grandfather had been on of them, one of the Reds." (222) Kate soon understands that her granfather had to live with emotional suffering for his entire life and this is the main point of the story. That regarding the russian Revolution, nothing is as it seems. There was deceit, lying, and fraud.