XL

I wasn't expecting this surprise of a book. It has a lot of elements which I enjoy, sarcasm, wit and hits in the emotions aka "feels" as the young folk call it.Will, the POV character is 16, lives with his dad, stepmom and her son, named Drew, who is his blood-brother. He's a typical teen, smart but a smart-alec with his wit but something is a hassle for him; he's around 4'11 feet tall.That's a lot to handle as a teenager being underfoot in his class. This also gives him a bit of an inferiority complex due to him also having feelings for his other best friend, Monica, Mon for short.They are a trio of friends that have known each other for ages and on Will's birthday, he wants to go for broke, reveal his feelings. But that's not the top, what happens to Will when he finally gets his growth spurt?As a teen hitting the height factor over the course of the summer, Will will be learning the pitfalls and greatness of young adulthood in this great book! Along with not to trip on his own feet. You'll be surprised how tall he gets!This has a lot of sarcastic and at times meta humor, which is an instant A in my book, however, there is a lot of heart in this story as well as life isn't always the best and there will be times when it sucks. I re-read this book twice to make sure I got the meaning of the story, or at least, what I interpret as the meaning and once that hit, it got me in the feels.Scott Brown knows his stuff and I loved reading this book.This does have an age factor of 13-18 range however I, being an adult in his 30's, can still get some meaning in this book. If you need some good laughing mixed with the bitter-sweet of growing up, this is the book for you!To be honest, I'm actually hoping for a sequel. If there isn't though, I'll hold this story in high value and will read again.Overall, funny and recommended!

Hilarious, strange, heartbreaking and wonderful. Just like I remember adolescence. Scott Brown is hilarious. I could simultaneously hear him cracking the jokes in the background as the author and also completely forget him and believe in these characters. Highly recommended! Though I’ll wait to read it to my kids til they’ll older.

Will Daughtry is a late bloomer, just shy of 5 feet tall, and both he and his family are losing hope that he’ll ever grow. The one positive in his life are his friendships with stepbrother Will (6’3”) and Monica (5’10”) who he’s loved since age 11. After an especially upsetting 16th birthday, when he’s given a “clown car” as a gift and then catches Will and Monica kissing, he gets really angry. Virtually overnight, he begins to grow…at a rate of 2 inches a month. For the first time in his life, he’s happy and finally “seen,” by girls and by coaches. By the time he tops 7 feet, his “nice guy” persona is dissolving and it’s starting to affect his relationship with Drew and Monica. Add to this mix a social media troll who’s threatening him and stirring up the pot, and a day of reckoning is imminent.There’s so much to recommend this book. With its humor, focus on sports (primarily basketball and surfing) and the male protagonist POV, it will appeal to teenage boys. Brown’s extensive use of gorilla interaction as a metaphor for the three protagonists’ relationship highlights just how little we’re removed from apes. All characters are well fleshed-out, and Monica is a strong, fearless female. In a YA field populated with themes of death, abuse, parental neglect and suicidal ideation, it’s refreshing to have a story that addresses these issues without them taking center stage. The only minor cons are that there is no answer as to what is causing Will’s growth spurt and whether it will stop, his whining and callous behavior, and Tolkien references that will stump those not familiar with his stories. Ultimately, its messages are “Be careful what you wish for; it might just happen” and that nice guys don’t always finish last. As Will observed while watching the beta male gorilla Mike, “Was Mike nice because that was his nature? Or because that was his context?” and what happens when the context changes?Recommended for ages 13 and up with minimal swearing and violence (except between gorillas) and sexual references that are alluded to but not described.I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Knopf Books for Young Readers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I had such a hard time reading this and I eventually gave up. He was too petty and I had a really hard liking him (or almost any of the characters). I couldn't relate to the feelings even though I'm pretty short. I guess I just don't have the Napoleon complex...

In the YA world, I feel like there’s always a gimmick of some kind of fight to the death, so I was surprised when the major event for the main character is a growth spurt. In the hands of another author, the stakes wouldn’t be high enough and the conflicts of daily life would need blood-letting to hold attention, but in Scott Brown’s hands, the characters drive the story with such humor and humanity that it shows respect for the real lives of high schoolers.

This book is everything one should be for either teen or adult: exquisitely written, charming, full of heart (and life lessons, no matter your age), and un-put-down-able. These days I rarely read through the night, but I did with XL because it’s a true page-turner!

I enjoyed the book. It was down to earth and held my attention. However, I will not be handing it on to my ten year old cousin just yet, even though she is a capable reader. Within the first pages the main character hurries to breakfast so his parents will not fear he is masturbating on his birthday morning. I read Steinbeck's East of Eden at age twelve, and still remember a man bringing home.an std from the Civil War, among other souvenirs. Consider your audience on this one.

A fun read. I especially like the voice. It's high-school age characters but with the smart wit and ability to laugh at yourself of someone beyond high school. I love the author photo in the back, his expression cracks me up. That expression sums up the book.