Dear Life, You Suck Hardcover – March 26, 2013

I chose this book off the Golden Kite nominees. I was almost offended by the harsh title, but upon reading the description, I wanted to know this character. In children's and ya literature, there are few main characters who are so angry, perhaps mentally ill. So a few chapters into this when Blagden gives us a character who at that point seems to have no redeeming characteristics, I truly wondered where an author could go with such a bleak prospect. Cricket exhibits symptoms of something like Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and maybe some other things. I am not an expert on ODD. And, because I have known adolescents with this, I was intrigued how this would play out.Soon, we, as readers, see glimmers of good in Cricket. And we both want to bless and sympathize with the nuns who are committed to him. That scary part of "aging out" of the system at 18 is a huge embarrassment and hole in our foster care systems. What 18 year old is totally ready for grown-up life responsibility? Surely Cricket is not.So, I was encouraged when we see some redemption in Cricket,starting with his love of stories, and storytelling, and kudos to the teacher that treated him lament as a valid, underdeveloped piece of writing, and overlooked the intended shock factor.While this does get a bit religious and preachy in the end, I do admire that we are left with a sense of hope that Cricket could improve, could choose some good options, and create a meaningful life.I enjoyed this book and have recommended it to folks who are looking for the "edgy" novel for teens.

This is a brilliant coming-of-age story about the foster care system. The book is sad / funny; impossible / miraculous; worldly / innocent; and disgusting / charming. The main character, Cricket Cherpin - aptly named because he is always chirping about something and pushing the envelope too far for his own good - is a ward of the state who was sent to a home for boys in Maine at the age of 8. Now, nearing age 18, life seems uncertain as it must for most foster kids for whom future opportunities such as college are nothing but a pipe dream. Although some of the language was nothing short of raunchy, I found myself rooting for this young man who tries so hard to be a good example for the younger ones, but whose prospects in spite of his good character seem bleak. Further, the hard shell he has built for protection as a coping mechanism makes him a tough nut to crack. I came to love this character that author Scott Blagden has created. It makes me hopeful that foster kids will somehow find their way even when there seems to be no way. Great, thought-provoking, poignant read. I will be looking for more of Mr. Blagden's work in the future. Well done, sir!

This one is a bit out of the genres I usually read but I decided to give it a try because the title was interesting :DIt wasn't disappointing... but it wasn't the greatest book I've read either. I'm not a huge fan of profanity (and rarely if ever use it) so that was one major turn off. But, if you're trying to represent how kids speak lately maybe it can represent some of them?As far as the story goes, a kid with problems and how he finds a way to keep living through life and be better? It's pretty straight forward and the main character kind of grows on you because of his deep inner kindness and love for the younger orphans he lives with. He may have some problems with expressing himself and speaking nicely but considering his circumstances he turned out to be a pretty cool guy.For me, the book would have been 4 stars in stead of 3 if the ending were a bit better. I don't want to spoil the details... but it kind of ends abruptly and leaving the reader with many questions!! Though I'm already on a new book so I won't worry too much about it :D

Dear Life You Suck is the story of a hurt seventeen-year-old boy named Cricket Cherpin. It is one of the best-written books I have read. The author manages to give Cricket a voice that is unique and authentic. His vocabulary is extensive and creative. His thoughts are filled with profanities and some vulgarity yet they seem to be the authentic thoughts of a seventeen-year-old​ orphan who was never adopted. Cricket sneaks out at night, he gets in fights at school and his only friend is a drug dealer who he helps with collections. On the other side Cricket protects the younger kids at the orphanage and once a week he tells them stories. Cricket’s journey is one of facing his pain which is right on his face as a large scar, then owning his pain and finally letting others help him begin to heal.

It's rare that my 18-year-old son and I would agree on anything, much less the entertainment factor of a book. But this relatively new coming-of-age book looked interesting so I gave it to him for Hanukkah. Much to my surprise, I received a thank you note, telling me that the book did a great job of describing the kinds of things that were swirling around in his own head. Imagine that! So I purchased a second copy and read the book myself. I loved it, too. Well constructed and well written, with appropriately salty language.I let my son know that I also liked the book, and I sent him a copy of "Catcher in the Rye," describing it as my generation's version of the same book. I got no response from my son, but I did notice that he had actually also read that book!

I've belonged to a book club for the past 10 years. When one of the members picked this book, I will admit, I was at first disappointed. I thought it was "teen fiction" and did not expect much from it. I was very happily proven wrong. I read the entire book in about a day and 1/2. Whether you are a teen, the parent of a teen, or just someone looking for a good story with well developed characters and a good message, I'd recommend this book to you. I gave this book to my 15 year old son as soon as I finished. Many good messages about relevant topics like bullying, abuse, fitting in. PS - You might want to have a box of tissues on hand.

I absolutely loved this coming of age story. Cricket's voice is so genuine that I fell in love with him immediately. This young man has had a hard life, his voice is authentic and his journey quite heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time. This novel has become one of my favourite and goes straight up onto the special shelf