This YA coming of age story packs a punch! I laughed a little, I cringed a little and I cried a lot. This book was poignant in a way I haven't experienced in a long time. I had turned my back on this genre for a while now and to be honest, this book made me seriously question why I ever left. There are SO many feels right now having just this moment turned the last page but, for once, I don't feel like waxing poetic with loads of flourishing adjectives BUT I will say this... this book...with its succinct yet touching writing, its minimalistic world building that let the generously dynamic characters lead the show... has changed me in some small yet meaningful way and I don't believe that I will ever forget its message/ feeling.

Overall:

What can I say? If you're into the YA genre... if you're into stories about people enmeshed in shitty situations yet they manage to find a way to overcome and become their best versions... then this book is a must read! I devoured this in one sitting and enjoyed that thrill/dread of rushing up to meet the book's end. If you're into that then read no further, you've found your next read!

~ Enjoy

when Lucky Linderman was seven, Nader McMillan followed him into the restroom at a family restaurant and peed on his shoes.  

Then Nader McMillan went out to tell the manager that a boy had just peed all over the restroom floor.  The restaurant manager went to get Lucky's father and came in to berate Lucky.  Lucky gets jerked out of the restaurant, humiliated and stinking of pee; crying all the way home because no one believes him when he tells them that Nader did it.  (Nader's father is an influential attorney and has clout in the town.)

to me Nader looks exactly like this:

(If you haven't seen the tv commercial, you can view it here: http://youtu.be/Wa1ixjwMSSk )

Finally, his father heaves a big sigh and says something like, well, maybe he peed on your feet, but he can't pee on your soul.  For Lucky Linderman, that was the day his world changed.

everyday since then has been staying out of the way of Nader or, failing that, recovering from their encounters.

The themes of bullying, aspirations of parents for their children, and the ability of children to survive in spite of the shortcomings of those very same parents and other adults; social status and image are all handled with a deft touch.

There is a very good discussion between Lucky and Ginny on the problems of puberty, how we should respect each other, the impact of sex on young adults,  and the repercussions of disrespecting each other.  I love that Ginny spells it out and I love that Lucky gets it.

it's about family, and relationships and love.  My second A. S. King, but definitely not my last.

Favorite quote:  ". . I finally face Ginny.  . . Her confidence is lifelong and enormous, the way my lack of confidence is lifelong and enormous. . .  I am the only one who can't laugh at funny jokes about myself.  I am the only one who can't face the truth about myself.  I am the only one who is pretending."

but this is the summer that Lucky will grow up, discover new strength within himself, learn how to confront his problems and make them go away; to repair his relationship with his parents and to put his past to rest.

don't you like this cover better?

Hi guys, I hope you all are having a great day! This is my review to Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King. This is also a standalone novel. :)

Lucky Linderman didn't ask for his life. He didn't ask his grandfather not to come home from the Vietnam War. He didn't ask for a father who never got over it. He didn't ask for a mother who keeps pretending their dysfunctional family is fine. And he didn't ask to be the target of Nader McMillan's relentless bullying, which has finally gone too far.

But Lucky has a secret--one that helps him wade through the daily mundane torture of his life. In his dreams, Lucky escapes to the war-ridden jungles of Laos--the prison his grandfather couldn't escape--where Lucky can be a real man, an adventurer, and a hero. It's dangerous and wild, and it's a place where his life just might be worth living. But how long can Lucky keep hiding in his dreams before reality forces its way inside?

Michael L. Printz Honor recipient A.S. King's smart, funny and boldly original writing shines in this powerful novel about learning to cope with the shrapnel life throws at you and taking a stand against it.

This story is one of the most powerful that I’ve read. Lucky’s voice and the things he goes through are so emotionally painful that at some points, I felt real anger towards fictional characters for doing the things they did—and in some cases for not doing the things they should have done.

Lucky goes through an adventure of discovering parts of himself in his aunt, his uncle, some new friends he makes, and seeing that others are going through a different type of pain—but it doesn’t mean that their pain doesn’t matter. And their stories are just important as Lucky’s is. But in a different way. Even some parts of himself through the things he was convinced he didn’t like doing. Cooking, bonding with his mom, and other stuff that is more exciting to read about than listening to me blabber. :D

Overall, this book is such a great read, that I can easily say A.S. King is one author I would like to check out more, since I’ve only read two books by her. But out of what I’ve read so far, I can say that she will not disappoint in the future (fingers crossed!)! This book is now one of my most favorites.

I can easily say that anyone can read this story. But I think everyone should read this story, it has one of the strongest voices from a main character that I’ve read in a long time. And it honestly breaks and mends your hearts in others. Lucky is a main character I fell in love with, and you will too if you give this book a try. Please, please, please read this book, because it is just so good!

Thanks for reading this review guys, and hope you enjoyed it! (Also hope you check out A.S. King if you haven’t yet) :D