Monday, February 21, 2011

I Read a Book: The Big Crunch

The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman

This was another one of those books that my boyfriend read it first. He proceeded to rave about it and wave it in front of my face repeatedly. I resisted for a bit but picked it up a few days ago. And I loved it. I suppose I need to give him some credit.

The Big Crunch (awesome science reference, btw) follows June and Wes and their dramatic high school relationship. The story is told in four parts (fall, winter, spring, and summer). June is a nomad, whose family moves from city to city. Wes has lived in the same town his whole life and has dated the same girl for years. When June first meets Wes, nothing happens. Not your typical love story, but as these things tend to happen, they are repeatedly drawn to each other and eventual start dating, but then things get complicated.

I loved that the book depicts goofy, realistic love. We follow Wes and June's adventure, from butterflies to realities. I also really like June as a character. She's not the girliest and she's not a helpless romantic, but she wants to find love. I relate to her a bit, having moved so many times while I was growing up; I think it's a very accurate portrayal of what can happen.

The Big Crunch features super short chapters and a narrative rapidly switches focus from June to Wes (even as quickly as every few paragraphs). The style kept me on my toes, and kept my fingers flipping those pages.

Hardcover, 288 pages
Published January 2011

9 comments:

  1. I have to know if the title and the scientific meaning and the story have anything to do with each other.

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  2. I meant to post more but then I had to take a cough drop wrapper away from my cat.

    I have to say, I adore the cover of this book. It reminds me of something I read last year but I can't for the life of me figure out what. Ah, well.

    *scuttles off to Amazon*

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  3. Hey, I apologize for not including more physics chat in my original post! I should have known you’d want the scoop. : ) As far as the Big Crunch goes, there's not much more than a basic explanation and a passing mention, but it’s done in a super cute way.

    Also, we have got to be the same person!!!! I spent the morning chasing my old cat to get a cough drop wrapper out of his mouth. I hate being sick.

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  4. If your cough drop is a Ludens, it just proves my future time machine works! Eventually!

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  5. Ok, it took me a few moments to figure this all out...but now I see that I have just "followed" two new blogs, and I find out they are by the same person! (am I right?)
    I thought so...
    I've enjoyed reading both of them! I just started blogging myself as of yesterday! Or was it Saturday...who can remember the details.
    Feel free to follow me too...although I have just started, I think it will be great fun. I am almost finished with my first novel,(in the throes of editing)and am now writing the sequel.
    Oh, and your time travel reference was especially funny, my 'other' book I am working on is about Time Travel. Such fun!
    Thanks for giving me a few chuckles tonight!
    Sharon

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  6. As my loving boyfriend just annoyingly pointed out, the main characters are JUNE and Wes. Not Jane, as was previously written. Otherwise, the review stands. : )

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  7. Sounds like a good book. I'm going to mark this one down on my TBR list. :)

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  8. how many chapters does it have

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    Replies
    1. Good question! It's been a while since I read the book, and I don't have a copy because I checked it out of the library. I believe the book was divided into four sections- one for each season- and there were a few chapters in each section.

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