Kick Me: Adventures in Adolescence by Paul Feig
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Book Reviews of Kick Me: Adventures in Adolescence
Book Review: Kick Me now- the story of heartaches and paranoia
Summary: 5 Stars
From gym class skirmishes, to awkward first kisses, Paul Feig takes the reader through his disjointed adolescence in his memoir, "Kick Me, Adventures in Adolescence." His humerous tone is set during the first pages of the book, as he brings up the terribly agonizing names one could be planted with in life. Each chapter illustrates an in-depth, obviously a tad embellished, memorable time in the life of a boy, titled with the nickname Fig Newton. Falling in love with his female alter ego at one point, and giving away a valued family heirloom to an unattainable eighth grade crush during another, "Kick Me" explores the true thoughts of a developing boy. Through his experienes, the reader is able to sympathize, empathize, and practically dash under the covers as Feig reencounters his humilitating, unimaginable traumas. If you are a fan of old Monty Python movies, Leave it to Beaver episodes, or any old TV shows and movies, you'll travel back in time reading this twisted, even nostaligic narrative of a naive, paranoid, and absolutley hilarious adolescent. I give this book five stars, ten points on the scale, two thumbs up, and a dozen cookies for Feig's humerous tone and courageous ability to remain unhaunted by humilation as he reecounters with unbelievale times. For his sensitivity, although indirect at points, but noticed through his sentiments and exaggerated feelings that were coated by comedic, often sarcastic jokes. And for his broad use of diction, who knows, you may even pick up on a few SAT words while laughing yourself silly...
Paul Feig takes us through his encounters with drinking, changing for the first time in the gym locker room, CPR lessons, the anxities of crushes, and ends his journey with his senior prom; periods of adolescence in which we all can relate to. I felt connected with Feig throughout his growth from beginning to end, and even felt like helping him out during certain times. Paul Feig is a guy in which you grow to love, through his comedic and outragous expeditions. Even when your mind tells you that things can get no worse, they do for poor Paul. Read it, on days when you want assurance, wisdom, or simply a mere dose of laughter. These stories are prone to put a smile on your face, possibly along with a cringe...and maybe even touch a tender spot in your heart!
Book Review: Life in the geek lane
Summary: 5 Stars
Remember those times in grade school when you were picked on or laughed at? The gym class you couldn't wait to end? That awkward first encounter with the opposite sex? Those tense moments performing in front of your classmates? Paul Feig's adolescent angst will make yours seem trivial in comparison. These essays about his experiences as an insecure, picked-on, but yet ever-hopeful kid from the wrong side of the popularity tracks will have you laughing and nodding as you recognize some of those same scenes from your own childhood. Paul was a quiet and fearful boy obsessed with germs, undressing in the boy's locker room, and dealing with girls. He alternately either tried to gain acceptance from, or avoided the attention of, the other kids... all of which, of course, made him the target of ridicule or worse. He describes every anxious moment in his childhood from his unusual homemade elf costume in his first grade class play to his misgivings about his date at the senior prom. I suffered along with him on horrendous school bus trips. I felt sympathy for him when his teacher mispronounced his last name, prompting his classmates to dub him with an unfortunate permanent nickname. I cringed at his Little League and football announcer fiascos. I rooted for him when he performed in the school talent show. I worried about his decision to dress in his Mom's clothing for Halloween. And above all else, I laughed.
These stories are not just funny, however. They are masterpieces of observation about the social interactions among kids, or between kids and their parents and teachers. The anecdotes are undoubtedly exaggerated for effect, yet they ring true because they describe every adolescent's fears of fitting in. I recommend this well written and highly entertaining book.
Eileen Rieback
Book Review: Takes us back to the not so good old days
Summary: 5 Stars
Reading this book was like deja vu. I recognized a lot of moments from my own life being described by Feig. He has written a book about adolescence that is both funny and brutally truthful. If you grew up in the US and were a nerd, at least a handful of the situations Feig described has happened to you.
Feig's descriptions and turns of phrase are what make this book such a riot. He always seems to have the exact expression to describe the awkward feelings and sensations one experiences as a pre-teen. Feig's description of his discovery of the "rope feeling" was one of the funniest things I have read. The humor is often of the slapstick variety, but the fact that these are true tales makes them all the funnier. Feig doesn't pull his punches to make himself look good. In fact, he often seems to be going to lengths to make himself look ridiculous. He is unafraid to expose his own follies and foibles, and that is what makes the book so powerful.
Feig's ability to evoke a sense of childlike wonder at the discoveries of his youth also make this a powerful book. Feig is able to perfectly capture that mixture of wonder and fear that accompanies each discovery and small loss of innocence. I have never read another author who is so completely able to transport the reader back to his own childhood and adolescence. That is a tough trick to pull off and Feig does it with aplomb.
A masterwork about growing up in America. It will make you laugh and cringe at the same time.
Book Review: Paul Feig, please write about a million more books!
Summary: 5 Stars
I wish there were many, many more book by Paul Feig! This is the second book about his childhood and teen years I've read (I read them out of order, but that didn't really matter) and I think he's barely touched the surface of what he could write about. Quite simply, he's the more hilarious writer I've ever read. I was hysterical over and over and over during my reading of this memoir about Feig's young life---one marked with a ton of horrible but funny moments of torment. However, he also hit a nerve, which I didn't realize until after reading late into the night, I had a horrible nightmare about junior high school bullies. He's funny partly because what he writes is very true. He seems to have total recall for the exact words that the freaks and geeks (also the title of the show he created) in school use. He writes from a perspective of a semi-outsider---not a total outcast, but someone who felt enough outside the mainstream to have a lot of good perspective. Paul, if you are floundering for your next book topic, here are some ideas---write a book about each of your parents. Write a book about your religious upbringing, which sounds interesting. Write about your extended family. Write about your marriage. If you have kids, write about them. Write about anything but don't write the kind of memoir I know you won't---one with tons of name dropping and references to what close friends you are with lots of celebrities. You are amazing!Book Review: Kickin' It
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is an autobiography by Paul Feig; it is about his childhood. To be more accurate all the stupid, humiliating mistakes he made during his childhood.
My favorite part must was the Christmas pageant. In 1st grade Paul was taking part in the Christmas play, and like all the other 1st graders he was an elf. Paul's dad decided to save money by using items from his army surplus store. When his parents got every part of the costume together and showed it to Paul he talk himself into thinking he looked just like an elf. For shoes he had oversized socks with foam stuffed in them, for pants he had giant boxers held up with suspenders, for a shirt he had a poncho, and for a hat he had a piece of poorly stitched cloth.
I would strongly recommend this book. Paul adolescent misadventures are hilarious. This book is all so great for people who work alot. It is really a series of short stories with no plot allowing people to take long spaces between chapters. This book can all so raise self-esteem, because we have all done stupid things when we were young but almost nobody did as many stupid "experiments" as Paul Feig [i.e. Holding a firecracker in your hand to see if it will hurt when it explodes]. I think this is a great book.