My Dad's A Punk

Response to My Dad's a Punk: 12 Stories about Boys and their Fathers edited by Tony Bradman

Back cover reads:
"No one questions a father more than a son, and no one book has ever given so many different answers to the big questions they're asking! This unique collection explores the special relationship between fathers and sons with humor, wisdom, and page-turning action. From devoted fathers and loving sons to fathers with dark secrets and sons with dilemmas of their own, you'll meet all kinds of families. There's even a digital father from the future! 12 original stories showcase the best contemporary writers. Whether you are a son or the father of one, My Dad's a Punk is a collection of gripping stories that you won't want to put down."

My Rxn:
YEAH RIGHT. gripping. More like tedious! there were maybe 2 stories in here that i liked... they were action packed and had great characters. It took me two weeks to read this thing because i DID want to put it down. ACK. no word nerd seal of approval. not a great way to start the summer.

Did find some great quotes, though:

"Some are like spaghetti strands- your lips kind of have to slurp them up. Reprehensible and multidisciplinary- those are spaghetti words. And other words taste rich and dark and mysterious, like really fine chocolate. Zanzibar is a chocolate word, and so are recumbent and effulgence" (29). WOOT! big words!

"Norman always talked about heaven first, just to get warmed up. LAst time we learned that the snakes up there don't slither. They ride scooters" (66). (Snakes don't walk.... they slither. HISS! you're never around when i need you!!"

"Why don't you pathetic nematodes be a little more naive and gullible" (71). (nematode=Doug!)

"My dad is so polite that his pants caught on fire" (81). This very well may be the BEST hook i have ever read.

"Humming birds are always in a foul mood (nice pun). You'd be in a foul mood too if waking up in the morning was enough to kill you. It's true! Hummingbirds sometimes have heart attacks just waking up!"( 88).

"Mr. Chicken-Kicker may be short, but he's as solid as a drum" (94). LOL

"The house was an ordinary one, in an ordinary street, in an ordinary town, in England Central B, in August of 2064"(131). There Will Come Soft Rains reference, anyone?

"Did you ever notice how loud silence can be? Dad's room suddenly screamed the big empties" (147).

"You try being a divorced kid. It does stuff to you. Even though Dad makes a point of picking me up at school at least twice a week, of coming to all my soccer games, of talking to me on the phone every day we're not together, it's still not the same" (149). yup. it sucks.

"Problem with writer types, they think everything that comes out of their mouths is so incredibly genius" (161). I don't! I know I suck at life! heh

"I was doomed to have a stepfather with the intelligence of a fruit roll-up" (165) LMAO!

"He did as I said and then disappeared down the side of the house, running like a roadie with a restrung guitar" (247). Nice simile there. I'd like to see that happen.

"The hairs sticking out of his nose were twitching-- the sort of thing that would've made lesser men sneeze" (256). hahaha!