Review: My Kind of Crazy by Robin Reul

Title: My Kind of Crazy 

Author:  Robin Reul
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire 

Publishing Date: April 5th 2016

Pages: 336
Genre: Contemporary/ Realistic Fiction/Coming of Age
Series:  Stand Alone

Source:  ARC 

 

Despite the best of intentions, seventeen-year old, wisecracking Hank Kirby can’t quite seem to catch a break. It’s not that he means to screw things up all the time, it just happens. A lot. Case in point: his attempt to ask out the girl he likes literally goes up in flames when he spells “Prom” in sparklers on her lawn…and nearly burns down her house.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Peyton Breedlove, a brooding loner and budding pyromaniac, witnesses the whole thing. Much to Hank’s dismay, Peyton takes an interest in him—and his “work.” The two are thrust into an unusual friendship, but their boundaries are tested when Hank learns that Peyton is hiding some dark secrets, secrets that may change everything he thought he knew about Peyton.

Love the cover to this book. I am not real big on people on covers but the way this cover was done is just so incredibly cute. I love it. Anyways. That is not what first drew me to this book. It was the title. It had the words my kind of crazy. Okay well that sounds interesting and promising. The summary sounded pretty good so I read it. I loved it. It was pretty dang good. 

Hank is an invisible boy. He has is own set of friends and he does okay in school. Doesn't get in trouble, doesn't get noticed, he's just there. A nice guy making his way through life. Prom is around the corner and he decides to make an impression on his long lost crush by spelling out prom in sparklers in her front yard... it causes a fire and a mess and lots of questions. He does get her attention but also gets the attention of a very troubled but interesting girl named Peyton. This is the story of Hank and Peyton and having a person that understands your kind of crazy. 

So my thoughts. They are kind of all over the place because this book is just a bit complicated. It isn't just a simple type of book so its not simple to review. At least not for me. The book has three main categories for me... a cute and fun part.... a deep part... and a coming of age part.... I really didn't know what I was getting into when I read this book. 

So the beginning is a bit slow but its worth getting through. Maybe others may not seem to think its a bit slow but I had a little time to adjust and get to know and understand the characters. Which in a contemporary novel... it is a big part of the story. To know and understand the characters. The characters are the biggest part of this story. 

Hank is the main character but to me he was more the main and secondary character. It is his story but only because Peyton exists. She is the main character to me. I feel this was more her story and Hank just helped her write it. 

Peyton is a hurting girl who hides it all under fun,. On the outside she is full of life... on the inside she is slowly dying. From the beginning you know that she is a bit messed up but not really the depth of it or the cause of it. Hank slowly unfolds all of this and starts to understand her crazy. At first I didn't really like this character and in the end I still had mixed feelings but in the end I did understand her and felt for her and with her. So even if I still didn't like her well didn't love her.. I loved her part in the story and I got it. 

Hank is a good character but a bit boring next to Peyton, but really he is the deep thinker, the slow getter, but once he's there it all comes together. He has many layers and it takes Petyon to unravel them. In the beginning I really didn't get him. I wanted to slap him. He just didn't get life but after meeting and falling for Peyton... some other things start to happen inside him too. It was great to watch. 

There is a big family element to this story too. It's not a good one. The families are screwed up but its important the to build of the story and the growth of the characters. There is one family that is pretty put together but its not Hanks or Peytons. So there is family issues and stress in this book too. Real life ones. I liked this element to the story. 

The romance was cute. It was slow burning and everyone but the Hank could see it happening but I do like how it was done. It was cute and strong. A bit fast for me but in my opinion. Most teen romances are. 

The issues that were dealt with are pretty average teen issues but they are dealt in a way that is extreme. I liked that they weren't extreme issues. It is issues I could see many teens going through just maybe not in such of an extreme outcome as in this story.

The ending was good. Not all pretty and wrapped in a bow type of ending. Which I am so glad of.. but not a tear your heart out and stomp on it kind of ending. It was in the middle and it was fitting. 

The only issue I had was the bit of a slow beginning. It did take me a few moments to get into the story. about 25 percent of the book. But once I was in it I couldn't put it down. Worth the read. 

Great book for romance and realistic issues. 

Robin Reul has been writing since she was in early elementary school, when she used to make her own book club flyers for her classmates and then pen them original stories. Though she grew up on movie sets and worked for many years in the film and television industry both as an actress and in motion picture development, she ultimately decided to focus her attention on writing young adult novels. She likes to write the same kinds of stories she loved as a teen: the ones that give her with butterflies in her stomach and are filled with quirky, memorable characters who stay with the reader long after the story ends. When she’s not writing, Robin can be found singlehandedly driving up the profit margin of her local Starbucks and indulging her love of baked goods, particularly those in the key of pumpkin. She lives in Los Angeles suburbia with her husband, son and daughter.