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    The Spectacular Now
    The Spectacular Now
    The Spectacular Now
    Audiobook8 hours

    The Spectacular Now

    Written by Tim Tharp

    Narrated by MacLeod Andrews

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    So, my girlfriend, Cassidy, is threatening to kick me to the curb again, my best friend suddenly wants to put the brakes on our lives of fabulous fun, my mom and big sister are plotting a future in which I turn into an atomic vampire, and my dad, well, my dad is a big fat question mark that I’m not sure I want the answer to.

    Some people would let a senior year like this get them down. Not me. I’m Sutter Keely, master of the party. But don’t mistake a midnight philosopher like me for nothing more than a shallow party boy. Just ask Aimee, the new girl in my life. She saw the depth in the Sutterman from that first moment when she found me passed out on the front lawn. Okay, so she’s a social disaster, but that’s where I come in.

    Yes, life is weird, but I embrace the weird. Let everyone else go marching off into their great shining futures if they want. Me, I’ve always been more than content to tip my whisky bottle and take a ride straight into the heart of the spectacular now.

    "A smart, superbly written novel.” - Publishers Weekly, starred

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateAug 20, 2009
    ISBN9781423399667
    The Spectacular Now
    Author

    Tim Tharp

    Tim Tharp lives in Oklahoma, where he writes novels and teaches in the Humanities Department at Rose State College. In addition to earning a master’s degree in creative writing from Brown University, he has also spent time as a factory hand, construction laborer, psychiatric aide, record store clerk, and long-distance hitchhiker. Tharp is the author of three other highly acclaimed novels for young adults: Knights of the Hill Country, Badd, and Mojo.

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    Reviews for The Spectacular Now

    3.5/5

    32 ratings14 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Sutter Keely is not your normal YA novel teen: he's friendly, smart (-alecky), funny, articulate, adventurous, and an alcoholic. At turns, achingly self-aware and then obtuse, 'The Sutterman' stumbles through his senior year, learning a bit about his long-absent, deadbeat dad, befriending a "loser" girl, Aimee, and --most of all-- having a good time. The reader not only sees the bad choices he makes but cares enough to feel sad about them. But this is no After-School Special: Sutter is still "God's Own Drunk" at the end of the book. The voice is authentic; the actions ring true = a more harrowing look at the dangers of drinking than any MADD pamphlet.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      Sutter is a senior in high school who is always drunk. Spectacularly drunk. He has a girlfriend, but when she asks him to promise something, he was too drunk to listen and she breaks up with him. So then he is off onto his own spectacular now, which includes some really great comedic moments as well as some really emotional moments – if Sutter could really feel. Sutter is literally drunk throughout the book, and there is no real comment on his driving drunk or the fact that he drinks through work and school. But on the other hand, Sutter is the kind of guy that everyone likes. He is charming and funny, and when he gets into a relationship with a girl in a backwards way it ends up as a rewarding one with lots of benefits. The one problem in this relationship is that he does cause his girlfriend to become a heavy drinker to keep up with him. However because of his matter-of-fact alcoholism, this is definitely not a book for younger teens who would believe everything he says. Sutter is an unreliable narrator and I think it takes a more discerning teen to identify the truth in what he says.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      This is not a story about growth, instead the protagonist refuses to move beyond being the life the party. Alcohol is his courage, anesthetic and constant companion; he frequently refers to himself as "God's own drunk." Well written, a pleasure to read despite the dark content.
    • 2/5
      As this book was a National Book Award finalist for Young People's Literature in 2008, my expectation was high that I’d enjoy this. While the writing was good, I couldn’t get past the content. And to be honest, I gave up before finishing it. I just couldn’t stomach any more from Sutter Keely, the main character. His life seemed so centered around getting drunk and staying disconnected from what was going on in his life. I’m sure this story would appeal to teenage readers but I’m not convinced it is what they should be reading. It sends out a poor message to them.
    • 3/5
      The Spectacular Now is a character-driven story that is both frustrating and gratifying. There’s not much plot to speak of, but instead the story deals with Sutter’s relationships during his last semester of high school. It’s kind of like a documentary focusing on a high school senior who doesn’t have any plans for his future. I like this concept, given my anthropologist-like tendencies to observe people in their natural surroundings, but readers who want stories with a definite Point A and Point B with lots of twists and turns in between probably won’t enjoy the book as much.Tharp’s narrative expertly depicts a character that is only focused on the present moment in life. Sutter is pretty irresponsible, almost always drinking, and completely unconcerned with how his future will turn out. He’s deeply introspective, but his thoughts are limited by his inability to look at things from any angle other than his own. One minute I hated him wholeheartedly, with his Messiah complex and belief that he’s the only person who knows how to enjoy life, and the next minute he seemed so completely sincere and full of good intentions that I couldn’t help but cheer for the guy; then repeat the cycle about a dozen times. But I think the fact that he’s so complicated is what made him such a three-dimensional character. Another character explains him perfectly, saying “You’re not a bad guy, Sutter. You’re a good guy. You just don’t have a real firm grasp on the concept of consequences.” It is this failure to think beyond his present circumstances that’s so infuriating about him. Without going into specifics, the book’s conclusion works for the story as it’s told. I hated that there wasn’t really any closure, but it fits with the idea that the book is just examining this small window of time in Sutter’s life. I like the ending to some extent because it leaves Sutter open to so many possibilities, but at the same time I feel like I invested so much into this character that I want to know definitively how things work out for him. I feel like I got a glimpse of what was in store for him, but I’m not sure if it was enough.
    • 4/5
      The main character is as smooth as his trademark whiskey and 7UP. I really enjoyed reading this. It was written in a teenager's language, only more poetic and flowing. Very realistic and honest.The only downside is that Sutter never faced consequences for any of his bad decisions. He was very likable, however, could potentially set a bad example for younger or more influence-able readers. I am a teenager, and I can testify that this main character made me want to go out and have fun like he does. He makes partying and get wasted seem like great fun with no risks. That is my only qualm about this book.
    • 5/5
      I loved, loved, loved this book; read it in one sitting. Sutter is a senior in high school, determined to live in-the-moment all of the time. Why worry about the future when every moment he can have (with the help of an alcohol buzz) the spectacular now! Only living that way begins to have consequences: girlfriends break up with him when they realize they want more than he can give; friends move on when they decide they want to grow up and make plans for the future. Can Sutter keep on this way? Will he ever face the father who abandoned him? Find out in "The Spectacular Now."
    • 4/5
      Aw, Sutter. The tragically lovable f-up. He’s got a big heart, good intentions, and is just so lost. The narrator (who sounds like Matthew McConaughey) is brilliant as Sutter. I liked this book a bit - I was only a little disappointed in Sutter’s arc. He comes so close to doing the right thing at the end but there were too many loose ends for me. Too many opportunities for him to change a little more in ways that the reader could see or at least have hope for. But, maybe this ending was more realistic, after all. All in all though it was a good book and I’d recommend it.
    • 5/5
      Sutter isn't really concerned with what his future holds. He's 100% seriously committed to not being serious. He is rarely without something to drink (whiskey and Seven), his beloved Mitsubishi, and a joke. Unlike other protagonists in novels about teenage alcoholism, Sutter is not interested in changing himself. He's "God's own drunk," and doesn't see any reason to change himself. When he meets Aimee, nothing really changes for him. He sees that Aimee needs some confidence in her life, and knows he's the man to give it to her. And since he would never date her, and there's no way she would ever fall in love with him, it's perfect. Aimee is great. She quickly becomes a pro at drinking, she's funny, she's cute in her own way, and she needs Sutter. Tharp's novel is a must-read. Sutter's charm and devotion to fun despite the consequences mask the dark themes of the novel in ways that leave you struggling to read faster.
    • 3/5
      Rating it a 3 because of that terrible ending. Damn I hate feeling disappointed. I liked the ending
    • 4/5
      A really good book with a really unlikeable narrator. I know I'm supposed to love Sutter--he's the life of the party! He's popular! He's friendly!--but he's also kind of an asshole, I thought, even aside from his alcohol problem--he's just so outgoing and everything's-a-joke that he really got on my nerves.

      I enjoyed the book and I wouldn't be surprised if it lands on the Printz shortlist--but Sutter is not someone I'd want to spend any more time with than I already did.
    • 4/5
      Sutter Keely is the Dean Martin of his generation. At least, that's who he thinks he is. In his senior year of high school, Sutter is known as a good time. Always carrying a flask of whiskey with him, he loves being the life of the party. However, most don't know the inner Sutter, which is too often covered by his party boy lifestyle. Aimee, a shy, introverted girl in his class, is the first to bring out who Sutter truly is.Although he's charming and witty, he's covering sadness with his energetic social life. I really enjoyed this book, but I had a hard time believing Sutter to be an 18 year old boy. His outlook on life and opinions on relationships struck me as belonging to a 35 year old man, not a teenager still in high school. The book is well-written, but the voice is too sophisticated and adult to be believable. Still, it's a good ride.
    • 4/5
      High school senior Sutter Keely lives a life of fun, partying, and no thinking about the future. He has no sense of consequences, and instead lives in the moment to be the center of attention and the life of the party. However, things are starting to change for him. His girlfriend, Cassidy, leaves him because he can’t give her what she wants: a more serious commitment. His best friend gets serious with a girl and doesn’t want to live their old life of booze and smoking anymore.Then Sutter meets Aimee one early morning, when he’s passed out on a stranger’s front lawn and she’s on her paper route. Unlike Sutter, Aimee is socially clueless, trapped by her demanding and disgusting family, and seems to really need his help. Sutter figures he’ll just help Aimee get some self-confidence and assertiveness back, but before he knows it, he’s in it deep, and now he has the power to make or ruin this girl’s life. And it’s a responsibility he’d rather live without.Flawed but endearing characters take center stage in this incredible novel by Tim Tharp. Sutter’s voice will live in your head and heart, infiltrating your life with his unforgettableness.Sutter, of course, is the shining star of this novel, the sole reason why this book succeeds so well for me. He is probably a parent’s worst nightmare, the kind of kid you wouldn’t want as your own…and yet Tharp creates Sutter in such a way that you can’t help but feel for him, even when he’s off doing stupid, immature things. I am in awe of how we readers are able to understand Sutter more than he seems to understand himself, a schism between character and reader’s knowledge that’s difficult to achieve. Sutter doesn’t think much of himself, but his actions and implied thoughts speak for him otherwise, and we readers can see what he doesn’t about him.If you’re looking for a marvelous, memorable voice in YA fiction and are not too easily disturbed by liberal mentions of drinking, cursing, and sex, pick up THE SPECTACULAR NOW and prepare to be amazed.
    • 5/5
      It was a wonderful story about a kid who does everything in excess and then finds moderation.