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    Sprout
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    Sprout
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    Sprout
    Ebook289 pages5 hours

    Sprout

    By Dale Peck

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    When Sprout and his father move from Long Island to Kansas after the death of his mother, he is sure he will find no friends, no love, no beauty. But friends find him, the strangeness of the landscape fascinates him, and when love shows up in an unexpected place, it proves impossible to hold. An incredible, literary story of a boy who knows he's gay, and the town that seems to have no place for him to hide.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
    Release dateOct 26, 2010
    ISBN9781599906249
    Unavailable
    Sprout
    Author

    Dale Peck

    Dale Peck is the author of twelve books in a variety of genres, including Martin and John, Hatchet Jobs, and Sprout. His fiction and criticism have earned him two O. Henry Awards, a Pushcart Prize, a Lambda Literary Award, and a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship. He lives in New York City, where he teaches in the New School’s Graduate Writing Program.

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    Reviews for Sprout

    4/5

    87 ratings15 reviews

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    • 4/5
      <3 <3 <3

      Sprout is a sarcastic, wonderful, kind-hearted narrator. He plays tricks on the reader but never out of malice. He struggles with mistakes he and the others in his life have made, tries to find fun and joy in a world that often tries to squash it out of him, and he will steal your heart.
    • 4/5
      I keep going back and forth on this. This book could've been a 5 for me, but yet I'm partly tempted to give it a 3. I liked the voice and the character. And the subject matter. I just.. it's the story I'm uncertain on. And I'm kind of mad at the ending. But yea.. hard to say more without spoiling.

      Goodreads recommended this book based on other things I read and I guess I'm not sorry it did.

      The typos in the book annoyed me though. Two -- things (what are those called?) that were supposed to be hyphens, two letters transposed in a name, a sequence of 3 words that were out of order and two redundant, and a 'carol' that should've been 'carrel' and actually _was_ 'carrel' about two sentences before that.

      Have you ever noticed how some books have _more_ errors the further into the book you go? Like the copyeditor just got tired, or bored, or wandered off.

      Anyway, striking cover anyway, right?
    • 5/5
      It has been a long time since a novel hit me this hard. Am I happy with the somewhat-cliche ending? No. But that doesn't stop it from being emotionally powerful. Incredible use of dialogue, and the narrator's voice is compelling. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
    • 4/5
      Apologies for perhaps forgetting bits of the novel, as it's been a few weeks since I've read it, but I wanted to review it then, and I want to review it now (and also, to respond to other reviews here).Sprout ended up being an entirely different novel than I expected, though not in a bad way. Somehow, I got the idea that it was going to be a funny, light-hearted book; completely false. Go elsewhere for that. Anyway, moving on. One character nobody seems to be mentioning in the reviews is Ruthie, Sprout's rebellious friend with aspirations to fame, who has been driving her mother's car since she was 12. Stories Sprout tells about her are just amazing, my favorite part of the novel's beginning, so she should be mentioned.Now I shall address the reader reviews that say, "Sprout is not a believable high schooler because he uses big words." As someone who was not long ago a high schooler, I take offense. Teenagers are perfectly capable of not only knowing, but using a large vocabulary. I will concede that more than half of the time, someone who talks like Sprout (of any age, actually) is not a believable character. However, Sprout is not an average teen; he reads the dictionary for fun, for fuck's sake (as do I, I shamefully admit). If anything, I would have been skeptical if Sprout, word nerd, social reject, and writer extraordinaire, used ordinary, simple words like most people do. Just because a high school character doesn't talk like, "cool, totally, like, rly," does not mean they're not realistic.Now I will voice my disappointment with the ending of the book, in which we discover that (surprise! /sarcasm) Sprout has returned his hair to its natural, god-given color, thank the lord. Whenever I read a book with a teen protagonist with distinct hair or clothes, I worry they will "become normal" in the end, and my fears are usually confirmed. It's a tired cliche at this point, but every author thinks they are being unique, with their "oh, my makeup/clothes/hair was just HIDING THE REAL ME ALL ALONG," as if people with unusual style are fake, and mainstream fashions are somehow more natural and "authentic." Anyone who dresses differently has mental or social problems going on, and once they have overcome them, they begin to dress normally. I've never read a book where things happen the other way around, with someone conforming to mainstream fashion out of fear dying their hair black and purple and getting a lip piercing at the end of the novel. These authors apparently are writing only for some teens; readers with dyed hair, piercings, or excessive makeup need not read. This device bothers me on a personal level, as a pierced man who dresses distinctively, but also at this point it's just become boring. Writers need to find some more creative way of showing that their unusual teenage protagonist has grown as a person. Thousands of authors each year manage to write novels that don't end with a haircut, I'm sure these authors can do the same. I expected better of Dale Peck, against all past experience, perhaps because Sprout was not excessively stereotyped. I was very disappointed.On a rather irrelevant note, I love the new cover for this book (I think it's new anyway). The old cover which is the one on the copy was good and eye grabbing as well, but this one is just gorgeous.In conclusion, read this book when you're in the mood for an interesting, thoughtful, and unique. I suppose I didn't laud it too much in my review, but it totally was good! I appreciated Peck not feeling the need to lighten the tone during the novel just because it's YA; not that writers who do that are doing something wrong, just it would have ruined the things that made this book special. It seems like the author respects teenagers just as much as adults, essential for anyone writing YA (or anything else with teens in it). And apart from the hackneyed haircut, Sprout is much different than most novels, Ya and non, that I've read. Unusual yet believable characters, a refreshingly pessimistic voice, and one of the few endings (maybe the only one, come to think of it) I've read that was somewhat depressing, didn't try to be hopeful or have a positive spin (artificially brightening the tone suddenly would have been jarring and disastrous), and yet was realistic and not over-the-top miserable (I'm looking at you, Robert Cormier).
    • 4/5
      Precocious green-haired teen from Long Island finds himself in a Kansas high school after his mother dies and his father takes up booze for a living. The structure of the novel is interesting, and the language... yum. The first person voice is powerful and interesting - but not entirely convincing. I couldn't really believe he was the age claimed. I wanted a different ending too, as the apparently mature voice led me to expect a different reaction in the denoument. Still, it's a pretty great read.
    • 5/5
      The book starts out with Sprout (so nicknamed because his choice of hair color) explaining he has a secret and everyone knows it. This intriguing beginning leads the reader to immediately wonder what Sprout's hiding, or not hiding. We learn Sprout's mom died and his dad moved him from Long Island to Kansas. KANSAS. We learn Sprout is an excellent writer with an English teacher determined to make him a statewide essay contest winner. Sprout loves language, and frequently addresses the reader as he plays with it. We learn Sprout is the fastest runner in school. We learn that Sprout is gay. Being gay is not Sprout's secret.The line that made me love Sprout: "I decided that if there had to be a target on my head, I'd paint it there myself."This book, ultimately a love story, made me laugh, made me sad, and often suprised me. It was wildly imaginative and full of contradictions.
    • 5/5
      Daniel Bradford, alias Sprout, moved to Kansas at the age of twelve from Long Island with his Dad following the death of his mother. They set up home in a trailer on a large tract of land where they live a somewhat eccentric life. During his first week at his new school, in and attempt to shock his schoolmates out of picking on him, Daniel dyes his hair green and becomes Sprout.At the age of sixteen he comes to the attention of English teacher Mrs Miller, who recognises in Sprout the potential as a candidate for the State essay competition, and begins tutoring him in preparation. When he announces to Mrs Miller that he is gay and should write about this, she dissuades him, telling him to keep it quite (despite the fact that everyone else seems to know!).Sprout tells of his time in his new school, and particularly of the events of the year he turns sixteen; of his relationship with Ruthie who befriends him in his first week; of his relationship with handsome school jock Ian, conducted mainly in the janitors cupboard; and especially of his relationship with another new boy, Ty, which develops into something very special.It is a touching story told by a misfit who is more than content to be so. But what make this story special is the nature of the telling. Sprouts love of writing and of words shines through, he speaks directly to the reader in fresh and lively voice. It is a funny, entertaining, witty, frank, above all a most enjoyable read. It does not really matter what Sprout is writing about, it is just a pleasure the read what he is saying; that he dose have something to say, that there is relevant message that he delivers at the conclusion, makes it all the more worthwhile.
    • 4/5
      Not only is Sprout a gay teenager, he is stuck in Kansas with his alcoholic father. His father abruptly decided to move away (to anywhere) after his mother died of cancer, and so Sprout was dragged along from Long Island to a trailer home in Kansas, where all of the kids have known each other since they were babies. Life is not good. However, Sprout (as well as the author) is a really good writer so he is targeted by an English teacher as someone who should enter the statewide essay contest. This sets the stage for us to hear about his personal development as well as his love life with Ty, another outcast who is abused by his father. Really well written.
    • 4/5
      This book definitely has some amazingly compelling parts, especially towards the end -- but for me, it felt like a hike to get there. The first half of the book is mostly just setting up the characters and the place, without a whole lot happening. I enjoyed the read overall -- but I will freely admit that it reminded me a lot of the books I remember being required to read in 8th grade, books that were slow-moving but had something "deep" to say about people who seem different.
    • 5/5
      "Sprout" is a gifted young man who lives his life very openly and honestly. Struggling against small town values as a hip, large on life gay youth, Sprout takes most of his scrapes and upheavals in stride. It is in the heart of this resiliency that his ultimate secret becomes so sorely revealed. Indeed, his is a lesson that we all must face sooner or later, that we are ultimately the very things we say we are not. In that light this book spans far beyond young adult fiction and would be welcomed on the shelves of contemporary adult literature.In this work Peck breaks every rule you ever learned in creative writing classes, and he does it flawlessly. His character development is rich and clear, the plot is unpredictably intriguing, the climax and resolution are true to Sprout and his perspective on life... I have not read Peck's writing before, but I will again. If I found a weakness in this novel it is that the secondary characters are all but lost in the end. Yet that fact, itself, moves the plot. It shows the progression of Sprout's mindset, and how in the end he becomes less focused on the lives of others and realizes his own truth.
    • 5/5
      Out of all the gay ya books I've read, this was probably the one I had the fewest expectations for. Not that I didn't think it would be good, but instead that I didn't know what to expect. What I discovered is that Sprout is one of the most profound young adult novels I've ever read. It is a heart breaking story that holds nothing back. Peck's style is fantastic, and he (like Peter Cameron and Nick Burd) respects his audience. Sprout as a character is strong in many ways, but at the same time, he has so many of the insecurities that teens have. This is not about coming out, instead it's about love, families and friendship. It's a coming of age story, but it's more than that. Peck's novel is funny and at times quite harsh, but at the same time it is beautiful and moving.
    • 4/5
      The actual reading of the book was fun. It was cleverly written - by someone who enjoyed writing and enjoyed language - just as the character, Sprout, said he did. I liked that. Sprout was supposed to be a good writer, so the writing should have been interesting and it was. I give it a lot of credit for that. And the story... well, the coming-of-age story was at once odd and believable, but it didn't always hold my attention. I mean, I could easily put the book down and walk away and not come back to it for several days. But the story didn't slip away, eventually I did want to go back and find out what happened. So, basically I condsider this one good, not great, but definitely good. One I would recommend for most high school collections.
    • 4/5
      what ever happened to Ty. Does he search for him, does he find him. What becomes of his wild chase down a corridor trying to uncover that something about himself?
    • 4/5
      Quite a few of my fellow readers adhere to what is commonly referred to as “The 25 Page Rule.” This means that if they aren’t enjoying a book by the time they’re 25 pages in, they abandon it. Well, I pity those folks because I can’t tell you how many rewarding reading experiences I might’ve missed if I gave up on books that quickly. Dale Peck’s Sprout certainly falls into that category. I think I was grinding my teeth through about 90% of this one, but I necked it out to the end and am so grateful that I did. Sprout, the eponymous narrator, is, in most ways, the typical teenaged gay nebbish found in countless other coming of age stories – a smarmy know-it-all who seems to have one up on everyone around him, even the adults. Especially the adults. His constant stream of twee asides is grating from the outset and it never lets up. It seems as if the voice of the author, a notoriously caustic literary critic, is drowning out that of his young, green-haired protagonist. But I should have realized that Peck is no amateur. This is a skilled and wily writer who knows how to manipulate his audience for maximum emotional impact. Sprout is a coming of age story in the truest sense of the word. By the book’s end, the relentless stream of sarcastic badinage makes perfect dramatic sense as we see Sprout shed the knee-jerk defenses of youth and begin to mature into a reflective and intelligent young man.Although this is being promoted as a young adult novel, Peck has chosen not to talk down to his audience, creating something almost too sophisticated for the teen crowd. I mean, can he really be so out of touch with “real” people that he believes a rabble rousing, seventeen year old D student would use the word “apocryphal” in casual conversation? I think this is indicative of the fact that, as a writer, Peck is something of a showman who refuses to completely disappear behind his characters. Near the end of his lovely book Martin and John, a series of short stories that all involve the same two men living in various alternative realities, one of them suddenly calls the other “Dale,” an unnecessary piece of literary tomfoolery which jolted me right out of the story. With Sprout, his style seems just a bit too precious and "writerly" to convincingly capture the authentic voice of a high school kid.Nonetheless, this is certainly a worthwhile read. It will definitely speak to you if, like me, you count yourself among the misfits, geeks and outsiders. And while LGBT books with positive messages and relatable protagonists are a dime a dozen these days, very few are as stylish and well-written.
    • 5/5
      Sixteen-year-old Daniel “Sprout” Bradford is gay. It’s not a secret, not even in their conservative little Kansas town, although perhaps Sprout would like to think that it does not define him. Neither are the facts that Sprout’s father is an eccentric alcoholic, his mother is dead, and he is their English teacher’s shining hope for winning the annual statewide essay-writing competition.Sprout’s sexual adventures have always been “closeted”—literally and no pun intended. Then he meets Ty, and his world explodes. Ty is odd, religious, a little scary, and a victim of abuse. When he and Sprout share, however, is something that Sprout had never dreamed of experiencing. But their relationship must remain a secret, otherwise Ty’s father will kill them both. Or so Sprout thinks.Who is Sprout really hiding from? Has he truly come to terms with his sexuality?SPROUT is a hilarious, heartbreaking, and important addition to the world of GLBT literature. Dale Peck’s writing style is fascinating: reading SPROUT is like entering the mind of a highly intellectual and insightful teenage boy. Sprout frequently goes off on linguistic tangents that occasional distract, but more often add to the genuineness of the story.While the plot moves slowly, I believe this was okay because the book is more like an elaborate character sketch of Sprout. It is not what actually occurs in Sprout’s life that is important, but rather his thought process that gets him to where he ends up at. By the end, you want to live in Sprout’s world, be his friend, have his friends. You want to have conversations with him, console him when he is distraught, advise him when he is being dumb.SPROUT is a 2009 must-read by a talented author whose insights and wonderful way with words will take him far in the near future. Sprout may say that his book will never be allowed in school libraries, but I hope that that doesn’t deter everyone from picking this book up and learning something from this precocious young man.