Review: My Kind of Crazy by Robin Reul | Blog Tour + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the MY KIND OF CRAZY blog tour! I really liked this book, so read on to see my review and enter a giveaway!

My Kind of Crazy by Robin Reul

Genre: YA Contemporary, Humor, Romance

Publication: April 5th 2016 by Sourcebooks

Series: n/a

Length: 336 pages

Format: eARC from publisher

Goodreads

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.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and Hannah from The Irish Banana Review for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review.

TW// some abuse, fire, some profanity

MY KIND OF CRAZY was a funny, yet emotional and thoughtful read. I really enjoyed this one, especially because a lot of people on Goodreads/Twitter had been talking about this and how good it is. I am still in awe of this fantastic debut by Robin Reul.

The novel starts off very interestingly; Hank Kirby accidentally ruins his prom proposal to Amanda Carlisle and almost sets her house on fire. This eventually leads to a growing friendship between him and Peyton, a slight pyromaniac from next door.

It’s like a bullshit burrito: bullshit, sprinkled in cheese, wrapped in a layer of more bullshit.

The characters were so multi-dimensional and interesting to read about. Hank, of course, is incredibly hilarious and even though his life isn’t ideal, he still has that kind of personality that still stands up and perseveres, which I adored. All of the characters were dimensional: Hank’s dad is an alcoholic; Hank’s dad girlfriend, Monica, is a pole dancer (and a future beauty school student); Hank’s friend, Nick, wants to take Amanda to prom; the popular girl at school, Amanda, is holding a contest; and Hank’s mother and older brother are absent from Hank’s life.

All the characters had some sort of impact on Hank’s life and it was really interesting to see how Hank dealt with everything in his life. What I really adored about this book was that Reul was able to incorporate serious issues (like family problems, alcoholism, abuse, and neglect) into a book that was equally funny and thoughtful and emotional.

There are so many things in life that you simply can’t control. You just have to accept them, even if they don’t make sense.

The romance was also quite lovely. Peyton and Hank start off as friends and slowly become more, which I really enjoyed reading. There’s also some obstacles within their relationship, like Amanda and Nick, but overall, it was adorable, and they really got to know each other and develop a relationship.

Overall, I really enjoyed MY KIND OF CRAZY. It was lovely and funny, yet emotional and poignant. It delved into some serious issues but it was executed flawlessly. This book will made you feel warm inside, long after you read the last page.

*quotes are from the advance reader’s copy and are subject to change in finished copy

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | iBooks | The Book Depository

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.

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook

FOLLOW THE REST OF THE TOUR!

Week 1:

3/28: Novel Ink – Review

3/29: Swoony Boys Podcast – Character Interview

3/30: Kelly Vision – Review

3/31: Addicted 2 Novels – Top 10

4/1: Avid Reader – Review

4/2: Behind Closed Covers – Review

 

Week 2:

4/4: No BS Book Reviews – Q&A

4/5: Fiction Fare – Review

4/6: Actin’ Up With Books – Playlist

4/7: Arctic Books – Review

4/8: A Book & A Latte – How I Write

4/9: The Irish Banana Review – Review

 

3 Finished Copies of MY KIND OF CRAZY (US Only)

Have you read this book yet? Are you planning to? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!