Stitches Paperback – July 5, 2012

Like most readers, I imagine, I came to know Tm Reimann's writing via Cracked.com. I've greatly enjoyed his articles, and when I saw he'd published a novel, I opted to buy a copy. I contacted him about this (I'd hoped to find it in ePub, but no dice), and he was very gracious and enthusiastic.I bought the book from Amazon, and while it took me a bit of time to get around to reading it, I'm glad I did. Short, strange, and subtle, the novel follows a trio of friends who are at dead ends in their lives and looking down the barrel of some major life issues. Pete is a dropout working a dead-end job and getting intoxicated on a mixture of alcohol and sleeping pills to make bad decisions he can't later remember. Jill is his coworker and crush; a self-harming cutter who views her life through a lens of failure. Auger is Pete's roommate; an odd, Asp-y recluse whose private hobby is performing surgery on the unwary.While the story takes some odd turns to get going and definitely has a "first novel" feel to it, the characters eventually come to life and find heart in the reality of their setting. I find the tale as a whole is best viewed as a metaphor for growing up and taking initiative in one's life, especially in the sense that sometimes the best gift your nearest and dearest can give you is a clean break and a head start on moving on. While certainly not for all audiences (and definitely packing its share of flaws), "Stitches" makes for a breezy and pleasant read.

I bought Stitches after reading Reimann's article on cracked.com explaining why it's obvious that Tom DeLonge was in fact, abducted by aliens. Entertained, I clicked on the writers link, which told me that Reimann had written a novel. Intrigued further, I read the first page of the book (thanks to Amazon's very handy "look inside" option), and based on the first page I purchased it.This was mid-July, and only yesterday morning did I finally read it. I finished it today. AND BY HOLY SHNOZBERRIES WAS IT GOOD.I don't mean "Yeah it was pretty good, you should read it." I mean "Holy frack I loved it why is this not a movie everyone should read this!"Sorry, fangirl moment.Stitches has 3 main characters, all of which are very different and still exceptionally likable. Even Auger. The mix-and-match cast will have you excited for what comes next. In a book full of organized chaos, you want to become more and more involved the more you read.Tom, your book was fantastic. From the 4 interchanging narratives, to character development, to a well-written plot and fun dialogue and inner-conflict, to a touching and spectacular ending. I sincerely hope you have another novel in your future, because I will 100% buy it.

I wanted to like this more than I did. The story idea itself is great...a story about a psychopath as told from the point of view of said psychopath and his completely oblivious roommate. A lot of the story itself is great, too. Auger is written very well, and the story itself is very funny while being completely morbid.There are a lot of negatives to this story, however. First off, the writing style is very juvenile (which is to be expected from a first-time author). Then, whenever Jill is the narrator, I wanted to scream. I'm not sure if the author cannot write women or if she was supposed to be a cliche, but she was extremely irritating and contradictory (she's supposed to have been a published writer, but continuously says "like" and "does that make sense?"). Her constant second guessing of herself and her obsession over Pete makes her seem much more like a 15 year old than a 20-something. Finally (and this might just annoy me, but whatever), the author uses the word "retarded" for just about everything the characters talk about. Two issues with that. 1) It's lazy writing...come up with any other word. 2) It's offensive. Plain and simple.So, all in all, a decent story. If he improves on his writing ability, I'll probably grab his next story (I'll have to keep an eye on his articles on Cracked to see if it does).

A good book can really take you into its world, and make you feel what is happening to the characters. This book does that in a remarkable way. However, it's not the most pleasant subject matter, so bear that in mind before you start reading.I don't want to spoil anything about this fantastic book, so I won't make reference to any specific plot points (there's a summary of you want to check it out). I will say that there are several moments where you will:1) Question whether or not you're rooting for the good guys2) Wish the author wasn't quite as good as he is3) Wish the author hadn't given up on his psychiatristBottom line is this: if you like really good, really disturbing, books, this is the one for you. Buy it today, and then find some humorous book to read right after. You'll need it.

Along with many others I came to read Tom Reimann on the humor site, Cracked.com. After enjoying many of his columns, seriously check out his adventures doing food delivery, I decided to click on the BUY MY BOOK at the bottom of each one and am glad to say I really enjpyed it.Definitely different, Reimann creates some enjoyably dark characters thrown into a variety of situations, from the mundane to the disturbingly grim.I would love to see what else Tom can come up with as it seems he can go to some very interesting places and while I liked Stitches and recommend you read it, I think that after going to term with his first effort I feel he can deliver even more on his second outing.

This was a good novel and well presented with interesting pacing and enjoyable interactions between characters. Very immersive for a short novel, but a well thought out and pleasing read.

Nice, short, nasty, funny read.Well-worth getting.And I'm surprised it hasn't been filmed yet: some nowheretown on the edge of the great plains or the midwest would be the perfect location!

Very interesting book. Different take on the horror genre. Worth checking out.

Quite enjoyable, look forward to more from this author