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Spontaneous
A darkly funny and spectacularly original exploration of friendship, goodbyes—and spontaneous combustion.
Mara Carlyle’s senior year is going as normally as could be expected, until—wa-bam!—fellow senior Katelyn Ogden explodes during third period pre-calc.
Katelyn is the first, but she won’t be the last teenager to blow up without warning or explanation. As the seniors continue to pop like balloons and the national eye turns to Mara’s suburban New Jersey hometown, the FBI rolls in and the search for a reason is on.
Whip-smart and blunt, Mara narrates the end of their world as she knows it while trying to make it to graduation in one piece. It's an explosive year punctuated by romance, quarantine, lifelong friendship, hallucinogenic mushrooms, bloggers, ice cream trucks, “Snooze Button™,” Bon Jovi, and the filthiest language you’ve ever heard from the President of the United States.
Aaron Starmer rewrites the rulebook with Spontaneous. But beneath the outrageous is a ridiculously funny, super honest, and truly moving exemplar of the absurd and raw truths of being a teenager in the 21st century . . . and the heartache of saying goodbye.
Mara Carlyle’s senior year is going as normally as could be expected, until—wa-bam!—fellow senior Katelyn Ogden explodes during third period pre-calc.
Katelyn is the first, but she won’t be the last teenager to blow up without warning or explanation. As the seniors continue to pop like balloons and the national eye turns to Mara’s suburban New Jersey hometown, the FBI rolls in and the search for a reason is on.
Whip-smart and blunt, Mara narrates the end of their world as she knows it while trying to make it to graduation in one piece. It's an explosive year punctuated by romance, quarantine, lifelong friendship, hallucinogenic mushrooms, bloggers, ice cream trucks, “Snooze Button™,” Bon Jovi, and the filthiest language you’ve ever heard from the President of the United States.
Aaron Starmer rewrites the rulebook with Spontaneous. But beneath the outrageous is a ridiculously funny, super honest, and truly moving exemplar of the absurd and raw truths of being a teenager in the 21st century . . . and the heartache of saying goodbye.
368 pages, ebook
First published August 23, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 749 reviews
June 22, 2018
To describe how you feel after a girl explodes in your pre-calc class is a tad tricky.
when i read the first 30-odd pages of this book as a netgalley preview, i was AMPED. it had so many things i loved - spontaneous combustion, leonard cohen, bleak house, plenty of cussing and mara - a sarcastic narrator whose response to her schoolmates suddenly blowing up into little bloody pieces is not to be scared or sad, but to make completely inappropriate jokes, or deadpan the situation:
Here's what happens when a guy blows up during your group therapy session that's supposed to make you feel better about people blowing up. The group therapy session is officially canceled. You do not feel better.
this is my kind of girl!
i was so excited to read the whole thing that i was very bad - i bought it the day it came out - on my birrrrthday - and i pushed it ahead of other books i was "supposed" to read, figuring it was YA so it would be fast and i would just love it to pieces before returning to my "oughtta" reading list. but i gotta say, despite a really strong open, it kind of meandered its way through the story without a clearly-defined purpose, and i didn't love it as much as those first thirty pages.
i love the idea of it - spontaneous human combustion is a criminally underused premise for a book, especially the way it's used here - not as an isolated incident, but as an epidemic that plagues the senior class of a new jersey high school, causing students to suddenly essplode into bloody bits. there's no identifiable cause for the phenomenon, and no way to predict who will pop off, which adds a delicious blanket of WHO WILL COMBUST NEXT?? to the proceedings. at the outset of the phenomenon, there are plenty of theories and speculations floating about the causes - starting with the knee-jerk racist accusation of "terrorists," since the first two kids were darker-than-snow complected: turkish and chinese/korean, followed by blaming everything from sexual orientation to drugs, searching for overlapping characteristics between the kids and grasping at straws.
it soon becomes clear that these kids don't have anything in common except being part of the same class and that even students who transferred or tried to leave town are at risk.
the FBI rolls in to investigate and quarantine the students, while the remaining kids try to cope any way they can - sex and drugs and rock and roll (in the form of bon jovi, but still…), drinking, parties, distracting themselves with projects, or investigating the situation on their own.
but the book kind of falls apart, particularly in the relationships between the characters. at the start, mara and tess are inseparable and their relationship is strong and funny and sweet - they even have their own driving mixes to play loudly and scream-sing to as they roll through town. even when mara starts dating dylan, an enigmatic fellow around whom many unsavory rumors swirl, the relationship doesn't come between the girls, and the three baby-sleuths team up with special agent carla rosetti to get to the bottom of the combustions. but at some point, tess just drifts out of the narrative, with only a vague, weak explanation for her absence. the relationship between dylan and mara is also a bit dubious - coming out of nowhere and requiring the reader to just get on board and not analyze how and why it came to be apart from him being …sad. And dangerous. And fascinating. the same unconvincing quality affects mara's voice - as much as i loved the opening snark and "fuck this shit" attitude, she rarely sounds or behaves like a teenage girl, even one of the badass variety. she's wildly inconsistent - she's independent, but jealous of one of dylan's exes to the point of confrontation; she's a bit of a loner, and yet she's suddenly the mouthpiece rallying the remaining students to action; she's extremely close to tess, and yet she avoids her for most of the second half of the book. and she's straight, but there's some lesbian subtext that is never addressed or explored. she and tessa cuddle a lot, including head-in-lap snuggling, they are very free with the "i love yous" and "sweeties" and hair-braiding and kisses, which might just be the way a male writer thinks teen girls behave (it's not really - i've never put my head in the lap of a female friend unless i was angling for more), but there's also mara's fascination with special agent carla rosetti. at first, it's hero-worship admiration and awe for a powerful lady with a cool car and a badass job, but there's also this:
As she bent over and her hair brushed my face, I gave her a good sniff.
A little weird, I admit. But also informative.
Rosetti wore perfume. Nice perfume. Not that I expected her to smell like coffee and gunpowder, but it was surprising how subtle and soft her scent was. Undergarments were now something to wonder about. What manner of lace was rubbing up against her holsters?
now maybe this is another thing a male writer thinks teenage girls do - speculate on the undergarments of other females (they don't. again, not unless they want to see those undergarments scattered in their sheets. sorry to prick that balloon, dudebros (that is a balloon in your pocket, right?) but all that pillow-fighting and casual nudity 80's horror movies convinced you went on all the time whenever two or more girls got together? urban legend.
it's just a little frustrating that it's out there without being addressed.
while we're pointing out negative reactions - special agent carla rosetti does not act like an FBI agent any more that mara acts like a real world girl.
but these are just little complaints. okay, medium-sized complaints. i did enjoy the book overall. it's frequently funny - there's a wonderful scene in which the president addresses the students that had me lol-ing, and i think SHC-as-metaphor for the specific unpredictability of senior year is a neat trick - it captures the uncertainty of the future for these students, the way that people are going to just vanish from your life as everyone scatters to their different colleges and transition into adulthood, close relationships are going to falter, people will be left behind. exploding teens gives a nice carpe diem urgency to those who remain unexploded, but who could be set off at any moment. because that's just what teenagers need, right? more encouragement to live in the moment without regard for the consequences?
i also enjoyed the shift in the reactions to the explosions, which continue throughout the book. after they've gone on for a while, people shruggingly adapt to the combustions as just something that happens sometimes.
…someone needed to tell the victims' stories. I promised I'd be that someone. It was a promise I most certainly did not keep. Because when things really went off the rails, when spontaneous combustions were so common that we hardly stopped classes for them, when my blood alcohol concentration reached whatever blood alcohol concentration is required to make blackouts a daily thing, I began to lose track of who the victims were.
i dunno - it's a good book, but not a great one, even though it does rock the leonard cohen. but i agree with mara - it's an oddly sexxy song to play at the funeral of a teenage girl.
but a million points for giving me a spontaneous human combustion novel. the world needs more of them!
for more of these, check out: http://explodingactresses.tumblr.com/
*******************************************
NOW AVAILABLE!!
which means that today is my BIRTHDAY! which means i can buy this book for myself for my BIRTHDAY! which sounds nerdy and sad, but is NOT!
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i read the 32-page sneak peek of this that is up on netgalley right now:
https://s2.netgalley.com/catalog/book...
this is a YA novel about spontaneous human combustion that not only comes out ON MY BORNDAY, but also uses my favorite dickens novel (Bleak House) as its epigraph and also, in the first 32 pages, features a leonard cohen reference; l.c. being my favorite singer/songwriter.
so it's pretty much the best thing ever.
it is also, i realized once i'd finished reading it, by the same guy that wrote The Riverman, which is itself a pretty rad book.
also, it's a YA novel about SPONTANEOUS HUMAN COMBUSTION.
and if that's not enough to make you want it, i feel sad for you.
i cannot WAIT until i can read the rest of it.
come to my blog!
August 26, 2016
Ready for one of the most unique concepts I’ve seen done in YA in years? Two words..spontaneous combustion. Do I have your attention? You heard that right…a book about people just randomly going KA-BOOM..exploding!! Pretty cool if you ask me. To make this situation even better, I am here to tell you that I was entertained through and through. There is this great level of dark humor almost on par with something like the movie Heathers.
Spontaneous follows Mara Carlyle, a senior at a New Jersey high school. Everything is going normal, if you will, until suddenly a classmate explodes in the middle of class. This is only the beginning…
The local community is mourning while trying to piece it all together. The entire nation find themselves astonished and afraid as they watch these New Jersey seniors spontaneously combust from afar. The FBI is investigating in hope of finding the cause.
We’re with Mara as she deals with this phenomenon and the possibility that she too will explode. Her relationships are a huge bonus to the story. Mara’s parents were really cool, ideal parents. Their relationship with their daughter was trusting, realistic, and perfect in this scenario. I was touched by it. Mara also has a great friendship with Tess, her lifelong best friend. It’s a key part of the story and gets such a strong portrayal. The exploration of their friendship elevated the novel for me. There is a romance to top everything off, though it’s not overwhelming to the story.
Mara’s voice is very snarky. Some might find her crass. I felt it worked for this type of book. It has a somewhat dark concept, so her voice with that dark sense of humor just really worked for me. The ending might not work for everyone - full answers aren’t exactly given. I still found the read to be pretty satisfying giving me a good laugh here and there.
This book has already been picked up to have a film adaptation. I’m excited to see how it turns out. Maybe this will be one of the next big things? Eh? Maybe? It’s certainly unique. I’ll be keeping my eye out for more info.
Spontaneous follows Mara Carlyle, a senior at a New Jersey high school. Everything is going normal, if you will, until suddenly a classmate explodes in the middle of class. This is only the beginning…
The local community is mourning while trying to piece it all together. The entire nation find themselves astonished and afraid as they watch these New Jersey seniors spontaneously combust from afar. The FBI is investigating in hope of finding the cause.
We’re with Mara as she deals with this phenomenon and the possibility that she too will explode. Her relationships are a huge bonus to the story. Mara’s parents were really cool, ideal parents. Their relationship with their daughter was trusting, realistic, and perfect in this scenario. I was touched by it. Mara also has a great friendship with Tess, her lifelong best friend. It’s a key part of the story and gets such a strong portrayal. The exploration of their friendship elevated the novel for me. There is a romance to top everything off, though it’s not overwhelming to the story.
Mara’s voice is very snarky. Some might find her crass. I felt it worked for this type of book. It has a somewhat dark concept, so her voice with that dark sense of humor just really worked for me. The ending might not work for everyone - full answers aren’t exactly given. I still found the read to be pretty satisfying giving me a good laugh here and there.
This book has already been picked up to have a film adaptation. I’m excited to see how it turns out. Maybe this will be one of the next big things? Eh? Maybe? It’s certainly unique. I’ll be keeping my eye out for more info.
June 28, 2016
I got this as an ARC at BEA 16 and was very excited about it after sitting in on a YA panel.
Before I begin, I want to say that this book was original and it was addicting. That's where the good things end for me. Let me explain.
1 star It was definitely original. The author picked a unique premise and a unique situation. There were some points where it felt dystopian and some points where it felt like an FBI story, but mainly was rooted in realistic fiction. Which was interesting for this scenario.
2 stars It was addicting. It's like watching a bad or trashy tv show, you catch yourself thinking "This is bad," and as you consider flipping the channel there's something that hooks you in. I was done with this book many times, and then I flipped a few more pages. The premise had me wanting answers, despite how hard it was to read about the characters involved.
-1 Star I. Hated. The. Narrator. I hated her as a person and I hated her narrative style. She was supposed to be this relatable teenager going through "all the feels," but she was just awful. She knows she's awful and discusses it throughout. But she also has the worst narrative style. Those looking for forward-telling stories can expect to be annoyed on multiple occasions. Mara tells you about something or someone (usually unimportant) and then starts the next "chapter." Eventually she realizes "Oh, I bet you were wondering about X" or "I never asked you to guess Y" and then rewinds, tells you, and moves on because it wasn't important .
-2 Stars I can see why John Green liked this book. There are a lot of Green elements- contemplating the "what-if's" of life and the "5 year plan," as well as the very high school "live the moment." But the characters kept swinging on a pendulum of caring and not caring that I eventually found myself checked out. I didn't care about Mara or the others, I was made to feel like another news reporter who eventually moved on to a more interesting town.
-3 Stars Major spoilers.
Before I begin, I want to say that this book was original and it was addicting. That's where the good things end for me. Let me explain.
1 star It was definitely original. The author picked a unique premise and a unique situation. There were some points where it felt dystopian and some points where it felt like an FBI story, but mainly was rooted in realistic fiction. Which was interesting for this scenario.
2 stars It was addicting. It's like watching a bad or trashy tv show, you catch yourself thinking "This is bad," and as you consider flipping the channel there's something that hooks you in. I was done with this book many times, and then I flipped a few more pages. The premise had me wanting answers, despite how hard it was to read about the characters involved.
-1 Star I. Hated. The. Narrator. I hated her as a person and I hated her narrative style. She was supposed to be this relatable teenager going through "all the feels," but she was just awful. She knows she's awful and discusses it throughout. But she also has the worst narrative style. Those looking for forward-telling stories can expect to be annoyed on multiple occasions. Mara tells you about something or someone (usually unimportant) and then starts the next "chapter." Eventually she realizes "Oh, I bet you were wondering about X" or "I never asked you to guess Y" and then rewinds, tells you, and moves on because it wasn't important .
-2 Stars I can see why John Green liked this book. There are a lot of Green elements- contemplating the "what-if's" of life and the "5 year plan," as well as the very high school "live the moment." But the characters kept swinging on a pendulum of caring and not caring that I eventually found myself checked out. I didn't care about Mara or the others, I was made to feel like another news reporter who eventually moved on to a more interesting town.
-3 Stars Major spoilers.
July 20, 2016
I have never seen a book about spontaneous combustion, so I was immediately intrigued by the synopsis.
I loved Mara. She's snarky and maybe a little rude and a lot hilarious. I absolutely loved the relationship she had with her parents; the honesty between the 3 of them was perfect. Dylan was sweet and a little weird, but it really worked.
I could have loved this book, I could have been obsessed with it. However, there were some things that didn't get explained and some plot lines that didn't make any sense to me. And while the ending was oddly satisfying, there's only a general idea of what happened and I hate that with a passion.
Overall, the story was unique and captivating. It was hilarious and heartbreaking and I really enjoyed it. I'll definitely be reading it again.
**Huge thanks to Dutton Books and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
I loved Mara. She's snarky and maybe a little rude and a lot hilarious. I absolutely loved the relationship she had with her parents; the honesty between the 3 of them was perfect. Dylan was sweet and a little weird, but it really worked.
I could have loved this book, I could have been obsessed with it. However, there were some things that didn't get explained and some plot lines that didn't make any sense to me. And while the ending was oddly satisfying, there's only a general idea of what happened and I hate that with a passion.
Overall, the story was unique and captivating. It was hilarious and heartbreaking and I really enjoyed it. I'll definitely be reading it again.
**Huge thanks to Dutton Books and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
August 2, 2019
LINK UPDATED
Some people are bound to not like this main character.
She’s opinionated, and lazy, and morbid. She does drugs, falls in love too quickly, makes snap-judgements, and making jokes is her biggest coping mechanism.
She’s the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral* if you will.
But, you know what? I went through a lot of these same feelings when I was a teenager… minus the spontaneous combustion element, of course. So, while some people might point out things Mara does that don’t seem realistic… well, I would like to tell these people that she might very well be my teenage spirit animal. Only, well, way more confident in herself than I ever was. But that’s on me.
And sometimes, when people around you start blowing up without warning, what you really need is a little humour to help save you from those deep, wallowing pits of despair.
Enter Mara, the only person who could tell this story without it getting too depressing, while still putting into words so very well how the grief and shock of this sort of situation affects the “survivors”.
(*No, she doesn’t actually laugh at a funeral, but she definitely laughs at some funeral-adjacent events, and she makes jokes of the “too soon” variety in her people-who-were-in-the-same-room-as-the-girl-who-spontaneously-combusted support group.)
The rest of this review can be found HERE!
Here’s what happens when a guy blows up during your group therapy session that’s supposed to make you feel better about people blowing up. The group therapy session is officially cancelled. You do not feel better.Okay, right off the bat, before we get into all the awesome things about this story, let me make one thing perfectly clear.
Some people are bound to not like this main character.
She’s opinionated, and lazy, and morbid. She does drugs, falls in love too quickly, makes snap-judgements, and making jokes is her biggest coping mechanism.
She’s the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral* if you will.
But, you know what? I went through a lot of these same feelings when I was a teenager… minus the spontaneous combustion element, of course. So, while some people might point out things Mara does that don’t seem realistic… well, I would like to tell these people that she might very well be my teenage spirit animal. Only, well, way more confident in herself than I ever was. But that’s on me.
And sometimes, when people around you start blowing up without warning, what you really need is a little humour to help save you from those deep, wallowing pits of despair.
“I like Mara’s jokes,” Brian Chen responded. “They help me remember it’s okay to smile. I don’t know if I’d still be coming to these things if it wasn’t for Mara.”
“Thank you, Bri,” I said, and at that point I began to realize that we were a bit of a cliché. Stories about troubled teenagers often feature support groups where smart-ass comments fly and feelings get hurt, where friends and enemies are forged over one-liners and tears. But here’s the thing. Even if we were a bit of a cliché, we were only a cliché for a bit. Because almost immediately after announcing his dedication to my humor, Brian Chen blew up.
Enter Mara, the only person who could tell this story without it getting too depressing, while still putting into words so very well how the grief and shock of this sort of situation affects the “survivors”.
You can’t feel much of anything in a moment like that. You certainly can’t analyze the situation. At least not while it’s happening. Later, the image will play over and over in your head, like some demon GIF, like some creeper who slips into your bed every single night, taps you on the shoulder, and says, “Remember me, the worst fucking moment of your life up to this point?” Later, you’ll feel and do a lot of things, but when it’s actually happening, all you can feel is confusion and all you do is react.(Oh, yes, and she swears. A lot.)
I sat there drinking and feeling sorry for myself. Then I sat there drinking and feeling angry at myself. Then I sat there drinking and feeling nothing, watching the rain like every pitiful person who ever thought that rain can stand in for emotions when, really, it’s only weather. Stupid fucking weather.
(*No, she doesn’t actually laugh at a funeral, but she definitely laughs at some funeral-adjacent events, and she makes jokes of the “too soon” variety in her people-who-were-in-the-same-room-as-the-girl-who-spontaneously-combusted support group.)
The rest of this review can be found HERE!
February 7, 2017
I gave this book 4 stars because the F Bomb was used alot and that took away from the reading experience for me. I don't mind some language but not when it is used alot.
When the first senior blows up there is a funeral and counceling for for the rest of the students in the class. But when more and more students combusts fear sets in to the school, then the town and then the country. The school is closed and the army is sent in to make sure all the students stay in the area.
The only people who stick arround are the reporters.
Mara is the teller of this story, I liked her honesty about how she thought of the students who 'blew up' and how she was dealing with it all. Her parents were cool and her boyfriend lovely. I did find it hard that she and her friend drifted apart abit as time when on.
As more and more students 'disappeared' Mara and the rest of the students go from trying to stay positive to a spirilling out of control in the choices they make. I didn't find this story funny but I did understand their reactions, it would be a horrible thing to go through.
When the first senior blows up there is a funeral and counceling for for the rest of the students in the class. But when more and more students combusts fear sets in to the school, then the town and then the country. The school is closed and the army is sent in to make sure all the students stay in the area.
The only people who stick arround are the reporters.
Mara is the teller of this story, I liked her honesty about how she thought of the students who 'blew up' and how she was dealing with it all. Her parents were cool and her boyfriend lovely. I did find it hard that she and her friend drifted apart abit as time when on.
As more and more students 'disappeared' Mara and the rest of the students go from trying to stay positive to a spirilling out of control in the choices they make. I didn't find this story funny but I did understand their reactions, it would be a horrible thing to go through.
January 31, 2017
Why must I always trade the books I love for books that I dislike? This book was... Very strange. I thought it would be amazing five months ago when I read the sampler, but it turned out to be another book in which a male author depicts a terrible version of what a girl thinks and acts like. It also seemed like the author was relying too heavily upon the concept of spontaneous combustion instead of actually focusing on developing more realistic and compelling characters and making sure the plot actually makes sense and isn't all over the place. I honestly don't know why I continued to read past the first few chapters. I probably would've DNFed this, if I hadn't been giving this book the benefit of the doubt the entire time. It felt like even though I hated most of it, I could not compel myself to put it down. Oh well. *shrugs*
October 22, 2020
من فیلمشو دیدم که بنظر میرسه اقتباس خیلی خوبی از رو کتاب بوده شاید حتی بهتر چون فیلم بخصوص نیم ساعت اولش بشدت لذت بخش بود.
ایده داستان جالبه، نظریهی پشتش بشدت تکراری یعنی صدتا فیلم و کتاب دیگه هم با این موضوع هست که ما که در هر صورت میمیریم و اینم ممکنه همین امروز اتفاق بیفته پس چرا سعی نمیکنیم از زندگیمون لذت ببریم و هرکاری دوست داریم کنیم، ولی چه چیزی این داستانو متمایز میکنه؟
لحن نیش دار و دارک کمدی داستان که برعکس کتابا و فیلمای دیگه که همه ماتم گرفتشون و بشدت غمگینن این همیشه سرزنده و بامزه حتی در بدترین شرایط ظاهر میشه و همینم حسابی لذت بخشش میکنه!
ایده داستان جالبه، نظریهی پشتش بشدت تکراری یعنی صدتا فیلم و کتاب دیگه هم با این موضوع هست که ما که در هر صورت میمیریم و اینم ممکنه همین امروز اتفاق بیفته پس چرا سعی نمیکنیم از زندگیمون لذت ببریم و هرکاری دوست داریم کنیم، ولی چه چیزی این داستانو متمایز میکنه؟
لحن نیش دار و دارک کمدی داستان که برعکس کتابا و فیلمای دیگه که همه ماتم گرفتشون و بشدت غمگینن این همیشه سرزنده و بامزه حتی در بدترین شرایط ظاهر میشه و همینم حسابی لذت بخشش میکنه!
January 7, 2021
Era un libro tan prometedor, tenía tanto potencial pero siento que no se aprovechó, para nada.
En resumidas palabras trata de una chica que está en su clase de cálculo y de repente su compañera de clase explota ¡literalmente! salpicando a todos con sangre y eso. Es así dónde empieza todo y poco a poco los alumnos del último curso empiezan a explotar uno tras otro.
Era una novela con TANTO potencial pero nunca conocemos por qué de las explosiones, qué pasa después. Solo hay drama adolescente que se me hizo tan aburrido y repetitivo que uffff, para mí al libro le sobran 100 páginas.
Fue una completa decepción.
🌟🌟
En resumidas palabras trata de una chica que está en su clase de cálculo y de repente su compañera de clase explota ¡literalmente! salpicando a todos con sangre y eso. Es así dónde empieza todo y poco a poco los alumnos del último curso empiezan a explotar uno tras otro.
Era una novela con TANTO potencial pero nunca conocemos por qué de las explosiones, qué pasa después. Solo hay drama adolescente que se me hizo tan aburrido y repetitivo que uffff, para mí al libro le sobran 100 páginas.
Fue una completa decepción.
🌟🌟
May 22, 2017
This was such a great read! The idea is really thought provoking and the narrator is hilarious. I love this author's writing style! I'd give it a 8 1/2/10 only because I don't know how I feel about the ending but overall it was awesome!
March 28, 2017
This definitely ranks in the top three on the "worst books I've ever read" list. Not only was there way too much gratuitous teenage swearing and drinking and drugs and sex for my (admittedly prudish) taste, but the story was just really dumb. A vague half-plot that didn't know whether it was actually a plot or just a vehicle for all the aforementioned hedonism. I was truly disappointed when the protagonist survived at the end. Seriously, the only good thing to come out of reading this book was when I was describing to my wife how much I hated it and it somehow made her think of a thing she saw on Facebook with Gilbert Gottfried reading Fifty Shades of Gray (seriously, Google it), and we watched that and it was hilarious. And now I'm done ranting.
July 3, 2016
I am a huge fan of the movie Heathers which makes me the perfect reader for this book. It's funny, in that dark, morbid way that Heathers is. It's smart and subversive, snarky and serious. It is, in short, a highly enjoyable read for anyone whose humour skews toward the darker side. (Kids spontaneously exploding is hilarious, no matter what you say.)
HOWEVER. There's a lot of talk about the origins of the "curse" and the true motives of Rosetti and neither one of these major plot threads gets resolved by the end, which was very frustrating for me. It left me feeling both like it needed a sequel and like a sequel would be a bad idea. I don't need everything to be tied up in pretty bows, but maybe if the whys and wherefores were less heavily emphasized, my frustration would have been less.
But, damn. Overall, this book was amazeballs and if you want a book that's a bit Monty Python, a large dollop of Heathers, and a scoop of Andrew Smith, this is definitely the book for you.
HOWEVER. There's a lot of talk about the origins of the "curse" and the true motives of Rosetti and neither one of these major plot threads gets resolved by the end, which was very frustrating for me. It left me feeling both like it needed a sequel and like a sequel would be a bad idea. I don't need everything to be tied up in pretty bows, but maybe if the whys and wherefores were less heavily emphasized, my frustration would have been less.
But, damn. Overall, this book was amazeballs and if you want a book that's a bit Monty Python, a large dollop of Heathers, and a scoop of Andrew Smith, this is definitely the book for you.
May 26, 2016
Spontaneous is a perfect storm of a wild, outrageous, horrifically compelling concept (a plague of spontaneous human combustion starts moving through the senior class of a New Jersey high school) and an insanely compelling narrator who grabs you by the heart (/throat/balls as you see fit) from page one and never lets go. This is the book I wish Grasshopper Jungle had been, but wasn't; it's the feminist rebuttal to that book, a tribute to female friendship. It's also completely unlike anything else I've read: frightening and fresh and surprisingly deep. I rushed through it because I couldn't put it down, but I'm going to need to sit with it -- mentally, emotionally -- for quite a while.
Then I'm going to go back and read everything Aaron Starmer has ever written, because damn, son.
Then I'm going to go back and read everything Aaron Starmer has ever written, because damn, son.
August 5, 2016
DNFing on page 64. I just don't get this book. Something is off with the voice for me. It tries too hard to be funny and it's not funny. It flows well, but I keep finding myself zoning out and losing interest, and if that's happening this early on...oy.
I read some spoilers because I was trying to decide whether I wanted to set this one aside or not, and based on what I've read I think it's a good decision for me to let this one go.
I read some spoilers because I was trying to decide whether I wanted to set this one aside or not, and based on what I've read I think it's a good decision for me to let this one go.
July 25, 2017
this book deserves a 4/4.5 because i'm not overly sure on the ending- if i'm being honest! But still this book was hilarious and a fantastic quick read
February 24, 2017
This is the review of an ARC of Spontaneous.
Mara was in pre-calc class with the rest of her fellow seniors at Covington High when Katelyn Ogden blew up. The fact that she was Turkish didn’t help. And even though they didn’t find a bomb or any explosives or anything (she had just spontaneously combusted), people pointed fingers. The senior class was scarred for life, and so began a time full of soft nothings and therapy sessions- that is when an Asian-American student blew up during one of those very counseling sessions. That was when people slowed down and thought, “alright, this is weird.” The senior class is at risk: kids are blowing up left and right. There is no explanation. Is it a government conspiracy, is it an experiment, is it some sort of curse? Does it even matter what it is? Mara’s trying to live her life among the humdrum of spontaneous explosions; she’s just trying to love her new boyfriend and keep her shit together long enough to graduate and do something with her life. But will she survive?
Back in July, I read a short teaser of this book on Netgalley, and it became one of my most anticipated releases of the year. The teaser did such a fantastic job of establishing the voice of the novel; snarky, morbid, strong and a tad bit offensive- basically everything I can want from a narrator. When I traded a copy of one of my books for an ARC of Spontaneous, I couldn’t wait to dive back into the strange mind of this narrator who managed to retain her morbid sense of humor when people she knew were literally exploding. And while parts of this book definitely gave me that initial spark that drew me to the teaser, I have to say that the beginning was the strongest part of the novel.
By far the greatest quality of Spontaneous is the voice of the narrator, and perhaps even the narrator herself. Starmer wields the sharp intelligence of Mara’s character so skillfully; her voice is never overbearing. Despite her somewhat offensive sense of humor, she is so genuine in everything she does that it becomes endearing. She’s a bad-ass young woman who is headstrong, who is feisty and sarcastic and so full of sass, but she’s also an incredibly reclusive young woman. Who’s afraid to open up, who keeps her feelings buried deep within herself, often disguising her vulnerabilities with a sharp quip here, a jab there. Honestly, I kept reading the book for her- I was so invested and so in love with Mara’s person that I did not care that I wasn’t fully enjoying the book.
On the topic of characters, the side characters were a bit of a let-down. Which is a shame because I know from the protagonist’s depth that Starmer can create brilliant characters, but I felt that he didn’t do the side/peripheral characters justice. However, despite them not feeling fully fleshed-out, their relationships with Mara were so wonderfully tangible. Mara’s newly-realized romance with Dylan was a little insta-lovey, perhaps, but their feelings for each other felt so genuine. Not to mention that this book has one of the strongest, greatest female-friendship duos I have ever read, EVER. Tess didn’t particularly feel like someone I knew, but she felt like someone I loved because of how much Mara loved her. The family dynamics, too, felt realistic – even though they weren’t developed much. Mara’s parents were mostly in the background, but they clearly played a role in her life. Am I making sense? I don’t think I am…
But despite all this, the plot fizzled out after the first 50-60 pages. It went from a hilarious rollercoaster full of laugh-out-loud moments of teenage explosion to a somewhat slow read about romance, where the main premise of the novel was put to the backseat- when it was obviously the selling-point of the entire book. It went from an intelligent and subtle political and social satire – exploring homophobia, prejudice and xenophobia- to just another contemporary. I enjoyed reading Mara’s developments, her struggle with both external and internal factors, but I feel like (and I know this sounds silly) I picked this book up for something else, something I didn’t get after the beginning. Which is a shame, because I genuinely think this book could have been something that everyone would talk about.
Overall, I definitely think this book is still worth reading- particularly if you enjoy the work of Andrew Smith (who wrote Winger) or John Green. Both those authors do a brilliant job of writing narrative voice. I definitely think that if you enjoy their work, this one will appeal to you.
On Diversity
Finally, I’d like to talk a little about diversity. We’ve seen many conversations take place over the course of the past few weeks about the importance of diversity, the importance of seeing yourself in a novel. I’d just like to point out that while Spontaneous isn’t a “diverse” book, per se, it does something unique- something that I really appreciated. The main characters are all white- at least, their races have not been specified, which pretty much means they are canonically white. However, the peripheral cast of characters is so diverse! One of the aims of diversifying reading, in my opinion, is to make the majority realize that the world is not white, cishet, straight and able-bodied. The world is full of people who do not fit those molds and Starmer makes sure that his book reflects the world the way it is.
While they do not play prominent roles, we have several black characters, as well as people who are disabled, who are gay, who are Muslim or East Asian or South Asian or Hispanic, none of whom pander to stereotypes or tired clichés. I mean, the openly gay character was a football player- and I really appreciated that. Even just making sure that the Covington senior class was so diverse makes an obvious statement: your story may revolve around white characters, okay, but you can do that without ignoring how diverse this world really is. Again, I wouldn’t characterize this book as a “diverse” read- it’s just something I thought I might point out.
Teaser Review:
Phenomenal. Laugh-out-loud funny with a narrator who's humor is snarky, morbid and a tad bit offensive- the result is a well-established, strong voice with a protagonist so genuine that you can't help but fall in love with her in the first few pages. This may have become one of my most anticipated releases for the year! So excited.
Mara was in pre-calc class with the rest of her fellow seniors at Covington High when Katelyn Ogden blew up. The fact that she was Turkish didn’t help. And even though they didn’t find a bomb or any explosives or anything (she had just spontaneously combusted), people pointed fingers. The senior class was scarred for life, and so began a time full of soft nothings and therapy sessions- that is when an Asian-American student blew up during one of those very counseling sessions. That was when people slowed down and thought, “alright, this is weird.” The senior class is at risk: kids are blowing up left and right. There is no explanation. Is it a government conspiracy, is it an experiment, is it some sort of curse? Does it even matter what it is? Mara’s trying to live her life among the humdrum of spontaneous explosions; she’s just trying to love her new boyfriend and keep her shit together long enough to graduate and do something with her life. But will she survive?
Back in July, I read a short teaser of this book on Netgalley, and it became one of my most anticipated releases of the year. The teaser did such a fantastic job of establishing the voice of the novel; snarky, morbid, strong and a tad bit offensive- basically everything I can want from a narrator. When I traded a copy of one of my books for an ARC of Spontaneous, I couldn’t wait to dive back into the strange mind of this narrator who managed to retain her morbid sense of humor when people she knew were literally exploding. And while parts of this book definitely gave me that initial spark that drew me to the teaser, I have to say that the beginning was the strongest part of the novel.
By far the greatest quality of Spontaneous is the voice of the narrator, and perhaps even the narrator herself. Starmer wields the sharp intelligence of Mara’s character so skillfully; her voice is never overbearing. Despite her somewhat offensive sense of humor, she is so genuine in everything she does that it becomes endearing. She’s a bad-ass young woman who is headstrong, who is feisty and sarcastic and so full of sass, but she’s also an incredibly reclusive young woman. Who’s afraid to open up, who keeps her feelings buried deep within herself, often disguising her vulnerabilities with a sharp quip here, a jab there. Honestly, I kept reading the book for her- I was so invested and so in love with Mara’s person that I did not care that I wasn’t fully enjoying the book.
On the topic of characters, the side characters were a bit of a let-down. Which is a shame because I know from the protagonist’s depth that Starmer can create brilliant characters, but I felt that he didn’t do the side/peripheral characters justice. However, despite them not feeling fully fleshed-out, their relationships with Mara were so wonderfully tangible. Mara’s newly-realized romance with Dylan was a little insta-lovey, perhaps, but their feelings for each other felt so genuine. Not to mention that this book has one of the strongest, greatest female-friendship duos I have ever read, EVER. Tess didn’t particularly feel like someone I knew, but she felt like someone I loved because of how much Mara loved her. The family dynamics, too, felt realistic – even though they weren’t developed much. Mara’s parents were mostly in the background, but they clearly played a role in her life. Am I making sense? I don’t think I am…
But despite all this, the plot fizzled out after the first 50-60 pages. It went from a hilarious rollercoaster full of laugh-out-loud moments of teenage explosion to a somewhat slow read about romance, where the main premise of the novel was put to the backseat- when it was obviously the selling-point of the entire book. It went from an intelligent and subtle political and social satire – exploring homophobia, prejudice and xenophobia- to just another contemporary. I enjoyed reading Mara’s developments, her struggle with both external and internal factors, but I feel like (and I know this sounds silly) I picked this book up for something else, something I didn’t get after the beginning. Which is a shame, because I genuinely think this book could have been something that everyone would talk about.
Overall, I definitely think this book is still worth reading- particularly if you enjoy the work of Andrew Smith (who wrote Winger) or John Green. Both those authors do a brilliant job of writing narrative voice. I definitely think that if you enjoy their work, this one will appeal to you.
On Diversity
Finally, I’d like to talk a little about diversity. We’ve seen many conversations take place over the course of the past few weeks about the importance of diversity, the importance of seeing yourself in a novel. I’d just like to point out that while Spontaneous isn’t a “diverse” book, per se, it does something unique- something that I really appreciated. The main characters are all white- at least, their races have not been specified, which pretty much means they are canonically white. However, the peripheral cast of characters is so diverse! One of the aims of diversifying reading, in my opinion, is to make the majority realize that the world is not white, cishet, straight and able-bodied. The world is full of people who do not fit those molds and Starmer makes sure that his book reflects the world the way it is.
While they do not play prominent roles, we have several black characters, as well as people who are disabled, who are gay, who are Muslim or East Asian or South Asian or Hispanic, none of whom pander to stereotypes or tired clichés. I mean, the openly gay character was a football player- and I really appreciated that. Even just making sure that the Covington senior class was so diverse makes an obvious statement: your story may revolve around white characters, okay, but you can do that without ignoring how diverse this world really is. Again, I wouldn’t characterize this book as a “diverse” read- it’s just something I thought I might point out.
Teaser Review:
Phenomenal. Laugh-out-loud funny with a narrator who's humor is snarky, morbid and a tad bit offensive- the result is a well-established, strong voice with a protagonist so genuine that you can't help but fall in love with her in the first few pages. This may have become one of my most anticipated releases for the year! So excited.
November 13, 2016
Starmer does a great job capturing the voice of his protagonist in this story. The book is consistently snarky and snappy without it ever feeling like anyone is trying too hard. Along with that come Mara's witty descriptions. Through her, the author paints pictures that perfectly capture the other characters and events of the book, if not visually, then emotionally and psychologically.
Along with the writing, the premise is an intriguing one: a particular group of senior high school students is spontaneously combusting. But how, and why, and what effect will it have on the survivors? The book is mostly focused on that last question, which is not a problem per se, but these teenagers go through many stages along the way to find very little in the way of a destination. The book meanders along for so long while Mara experiences her growth from feeling "invigorated" to not feeling anything to feeling passionate only about her best friend Tess.
In the meantime, we get very little time to develop any kind of affection ourselves for Tess. She wanders in and out of the story, hinting mysteriously at some discovery she's making and important information that she has for Mara - none of which ever really gets revealed, other than she loves Mara. Which we knew at the beginning because Mara has told us.
The end result is that the novel tales the reader on a long ride to mostly end up back where we started. This is part of the point: Mara will always be who she is, and Tess as well, and the permanence of them and their friendship is what matters. But I didn't need 350 pages to get there, especially after not spending enough time with Tess earlier to care. In the end, that lack of satisfaction at the end doesn't do justice to the snappy writing, leading me to give the book 2.5 stars - rounded down until Goodreads gives me some half stars.
Along with the writing, the premise is an intriguing one: a particular group of senior high school students is spontaneously combusting. But how, and why, and what effect will it have on the survivors? The book is mostly focused on that last question, which is not a problem per se, but these teenagers go through many stages along the way to find very little in the way of a destination. The book meanders along for so long while Mara experiences her growth from feeling "invigorated" to not feeling anything to feeling passionate only about her best friend Tess.
In the meantime, we get very little time to develop any kind of affection ourselves for Tess. She wanders in and out of the story, hinting mysteriously at some discovery she's making and important information that she has for Mara - none of which ever really gets revealed, other than she loves Mara. Which we knew at the beginning because Mara has told us.
The end result is that the novel tales the reader on a long ride to mostly end up back where we started. This is part of the point: Mara will always be who she is, and Tess as well, and the permanence of them and their friendship is what matters. But I didn't need 350 pages to get there, especially after not spending enough time with Tess earlier to care. In the end, that lack of satisfaction at the end doesn't do justice to the snappy writing, leading me to give the book 2.5 stars - rounded down until Goodreads gives me some half stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2016
Thanks to First Reads for providing a complimentary e-copy of SPONTANEOUS in exchange for my honest review.
Classmates spontaneously combusting around high school senior Mara resulting in local and national fear. Soon the entire class is isolated while scientists and FBI agents try to determine the cause. Virus? Terrorism? Aliens?
Full disclosure, I would have never chosen SPONTANEOUS, if not for being given a free copy after reviewing another book from First Reads. I felt obligated to read this novel, but once I got started I enjoyed Aaron Starmer's snarky, crisp writing. I was somewhat curious as the cause of the combustion, so I continued to the very disappointing, lackluster ending. SPONTANEOUS lost much of its initial oomph as the story continued as the plot veered into character descriptions of the combusted victims. Starmer wrote interesting backstories for characters whose only roles were being blown to smithereens.
I liked Mara, but was never sure if her narration was reliable, even after finishing the book.
If you enjoy reading humorous books with a snarky attitude, you may want to read SPONTANEOUS, although if you also want a plot that makes sense or at least an ending what explains WTF you just read, skip this one.
Classmates spontaneously combusting around high school senior Mara resulting in local and national fear. Soon the entire class is isolated while scientists and FBI agents try to determine the cause. Virus? Terrorism? Aliens?
Full disclosure, I would have never chosen SPONTANEOUS, if not for being given a free copy after reviewing another book from First Reads. I felt obligated to read this novel, but once I got started I enjoyed Aaron Starmer's snarky, crisp writing. I was somewhat curious as the cause of the combustion, so I continued to the very disappointing, lackluster ending. SPONTANEOUS lost much of its initial oomph as the story continued as the plot veered into character descriptions of the combusted victims. Starmer wrote interesting backstories for characters whose only roles were being blown to smithereens.
I liked Mara, but was never sure if her narration was reliable, even after finishing the book.
If you enjoy reading humorous books with a snarky attitude, you may want to read SPONTANEOUS, although if you also want a plot that makes sense or at least an ending what explains WTF you just read, skip this one.
December 21, 2023
No.
I don't want to waste any more braincells on this, but here we go...
I was excited, the blurb sounded fun and different, and honestly that's all I ask from a book these days. It definitely had potential, and the first few chapters were fast paced, built some intrigue, and had me hopeful with the level of dark humour. That's where it all started to go downhill.
The MC is annoying af. The friendship storyline is fun and has some Firefly Lane vibes. I would have read more of that - if it was from Tess's perspective - but unfortunately that was pretty sparse here.
The love interest storyline comes out of nowhere and gives nothing.
I do appreciate that there's an element of philosophy and the writer clearly wants us as readers to think for ourselves. To see the deeper themes and messages, and to come to our own conclusions. Unfortunately, it's very hard to come to a conclusion when there isn't even a hint of a thread to pull at and mull over. It gives you absolutely nothing. The whole spontaneous combustion thing - which is really all this book has - comes to nothing.
There are a few references to gay characters that rubbed me the wrong way. One in particular where a side character used the F word multiple times in a short sentence, in the most irritating, childish singsong-y way imaginable, has these words described as being "more or less baby sh*t – gross, but juvenile and inconsequential". Really? I'm not sure I'd call language like that inconsequential but maybe that's just me.
Finally, and honestly the main reason I've rated this book so harshly, as it made it impossible to enjoy even the short bits of fun; the entire thing reads like a middle aged man guessing at what a teenage girl sounds like. He's very wrong. It's just so painfully awkward I have second-hand embarrassment. Please make it stop.
Yeah, it's a no from me. Sorry.
(*I kindly received an arc of this book from the publisher for review - this did not influence my opinion... obviously 😬*)
I don't want to waste any more braincells on this, but here we go...
I was excited, the blurb sounded fun and different, and honestly that's all I ask from a book these days. It definitely had potential, and the first few chapters were fast paced, built some intrigue, and had me hopeful with the level of dark humour. That's where it all started to go downhill.
The MC is annoying af. The friendship storyline is fun and has some Firefly Lane vibes. I would have read more of that - if it was from Tess's perspective - but unfortunately that was pretty sparse here.
The love interest storyline comes out of nowhere and gives nothing.
I do appreciate that there's an element of philosophy and the writer clearly wants us as readers to think for ourselves. To see the deeper themes and messages, and to come to our own conclusions. Unfortunately, it's very hard to come to a conclusion when there isn't even a hint of a thread to pull at and mull over. It gives you absolutely nothing. The whole spontaneous combustion thing - which is really all this book has - comes to nothing.
There are a few references to gay characters that rubbed me the wrong way. One in particular where a side character used the F word multiple times in a short sentence, in the most irritating, childish singsong-y way imaginable, has these words described as being "more or less baby sh*t – gross, but juvenile and inconsequential". Really? I'm not sure I'd call language like that inconsequential but maybe that's just me.
Finally, and honestly the main reason I've rated this book so harshly, as it made it impossible to enjoy even the short bits of fun; the entire thing reads like a middle aged man guessing at what a teenage girl sounds like. He's very wrong. It's just so painfully awkward I have second-hand embarrassment. Please make it stop.
Yeah, it's a no from me. Sorry.
(*I kindly received an arc of this book from the publisher for review - this did not influence my opinion... obviously 😬*)
October 4, 2017
Reseña completa: http://anitavelabooks.blogspot.com.es...
Espontánea es una historia actual con un toque diferente que entretiene mucho y se lee muy bien por sus capítulos cortos. Eso sí, es una historia para leer sin buscarle la lógica a todo lo que sucede y disfrutar de la locura. Os la recomiendo mucho para salir de algún bloqueo lector, entre lecturas más densas y para una tarde de domingo aburrido.
En el blog os cuento más: http://anitavelabooks.blogspot.com.es...
Espontánea es una historia actual con un toque diferente que entretiene mucho y se lee muy bien por sus capítulos cortos. Eso sí, es una historia para leer sin buscarle la lógica a todo lo que sucede y disfrutar de la locura. Os la recomiendo mucho para salir de algún bloqueo lector, entre lecturas más densas y para una tarde de domingo aburrido.
En el blog os cuento más: http://anitavelabooks.blogspot.com.es...
March 2, 2018
Mara Carlyle's class is thrown into chaos when Katelyn Ogden explodes in the middle of third period calculus. After Katelyn's untimely demise more seniors start blowing up. After suspecting terrorism, suicide, and other sundry conspiracies, the town of Covington soon realizes that the high school seniors are falling victim to spontaneous combustion.
No one knows why it's happening. No one knows who might be next.
All Mara and her best friend Tess want to do is make it to graduation in one piece. But that might be harder than they think as students keep popping with no obvious pattern or warning. Mara's senior year is going to have love, friendship, drugs, and even more explosions than the usual high school drama would suggest in Spontaneous (2016) by Aaron Starmer.
Mara's first-person narration is dark, no-nonsense, and sometimes blatantly insensitive as she tries to make sense of her friends and classmates blowing up. She deals with the stress and the possibility of her own eventual demise with humor and avoidance.
Starmer's prose is snappy and substantive. Like many critically acclaimed novels, Spontaneous strikes a good balance between philosophical and absurd. Unfortunately, much of the story also feels like it is being spoon-fed to readers with heavy-handed descriptions and plotting.
Spontaneous isn't the first quasi-literary YA novel to be written by a male author with a female protagonist. It also won't be the last. Unfortunately, and this speaks to a number of potential flaws in the text, nothing about this book makes it matter that Mara is a girl. She could be anyone from any background. Nothing about her feels distinct or unique, begging the question why is this her story and not the story of one of the other unlucky seniors at Covington High School?
Throughout the novel, Mara keeps readers at a remove both from herself and from the other characters who populate the novel. While possibly a deliberate decision by Starmer, it does little to endear Mara to readers or generate much interest in her story.
Unfortunately an interesting premise and strong writing are not enough to make Spontaneous a compelling story. Spontaneous is a wacky, macabre novel sure to appeal to fans of Grasshopper Jungle.
Possible Pairings: Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes, Going Bovine by Libba Bray, Deadline by Chris Crutcher, Hot Pterodactyl Boyfriend by Alan Cumyn, Hellhole by Gina Damico, We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson, Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith, We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach
*An advance copy of this title was acquired from the publisher at BEA 2016*
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print
No one knows why it's happening. No one knows who might be next.
All Mara and her best friend Tess want to do is make it to graduation in one piece. But that might be harder than they think as students keep popping with no obvious pattern or warning. Mara's senior year is going to have love, friendship, drugs, and even more explosions than the usual high school drama would suggest in Spontaneous (2016) by Aaron Starmer.
Mara's first-person narration is dark, no-nonsense, and sometimes blatantly insensitive as she tries to make sense of her friends and classmates blowing up. She deals with the stress and the possibility of her own eventual demise with humor and avoidance.
Starmer's prose is snappy and substantive. Like many critically acclaimed novels, Spontaneous strikes a good balance between philosophical and absurd. Unfortunately, much of the story also feels like it is being spoon-fed to readers with heavy-handed descriptions and plotting.
Spontaneous isn't the first quasi-literary YA novel to be written by a male author with a female protagonist. It also won't be the last. Unfortunately, and this speaks to a number of potential flaws in the text, nothing about this book makes it matter that Mara is a girl. She could be anyone from any background. Nothing about her feels distinct or unique, begging the question why is this her story and not the story of one of the other unlucky seniors at Covington High School?
Throughout the novel, Mara keeps readers at a remove both from herself and from the other characters who populate the novel. While possibly a deliberate decision by Starmer, it does little to endear Mara to readers or generate much interest in her story.
Unfortunately an interesting premise and strong writing are not enough to make Spontaneous a compelling story. Spontaneous is a wacky, macabre novel sure to appeal to fans of Grasshopper Jungle.
Possible Pairings: Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes, Going Bovine by Libba Bray, Deadline by Chris Crutcher, Hot Pterodactyl Boyfriend by Alan Cumyn, Hellhole by Gina Damico, We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson, Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith, We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach
*An advance copy of this title was acquired from the publisher at BEA 2016*
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print
April 8, 2022
NEW REVIEW
I just finished the audiobook of this story a couple days ago and wow. What a ride. I loved like, 98% of it, and the 2% I didn’t love I can’t mention here because of spoilers.
What I will say is this: This book is full of swearing, debauchery, and high school seniors blowing up. It’s a non-stop ride from start to finish. It’s funny, and sad, but mostly funny. A true testament to the author, to take a story about kids spontaneously combusting and find the humor in it.
Up next: I need to watch the film to see if they changed that ending…
OLD REVIEW FROM THE PREVIEW
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a sneak preview of this book.
I had never heard of this book or this author before seeing it on NetGalley, but as soon as I read that it was about people spontaneously combusting, I knew I had to read it.
So, the portion of this book I was sent to read was hilarious. The main character is a teenage girl, and all around her people are blowing up. For seemingly no reason. We don't get to find out anything about WHY this is happening in the preview I read, but you do get to know some of the characters and "witness" two deaths.
If you are looking for something a little more different and out there, with a somewhat dark sense of humor, this is the book. I can NOT wait to get my hands on the full thing!
I just finished the audiobook of this story a couple days ago and wow. What a ride. I loved like, 98% of it, and the 2% I didn’t love I can’t mention here because of spoilers.
What I will say is this: This book is full of swearing, debauchery, and high school seniors blowing up. It’s a non-stop ride from start to finish. It’s funny, and sad, but mostly funny. A true testament to the author, to take a story about kids spontaneously combusting and find the humor in it.
Up next: I need to watch the film to see if they changed that ending…
OLD REVIEW FROM THE PREVIEW
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a sneak preview of this book.
I had never heard of this book or this author before seeing it on NetGalley, but as soon as I read that it was about people spontaneously combusting, I knew I had to read it.
So, the portion of this book I was sent to read was hilarious. The main character is a teenage girl, and all around her people are blowing up. For seemingly no reason. We don't get to find out anything about WHY this is happening in the preview I read, but you do get to know some of the characters and "witness" two deaths.
If you are looking for something a little more different and out there, with a somewhat dark sense of humor, this is the book. I can NOT wait to get my hands on the full thing!
May 15, 2016
I read this one on the train ride home from BEA 2016 and, dudes, it is incredible! Now, this isn't going to appeal to everyone. Mara's snark is legendary in level and there are NO easy answers or explanations. This goes dark, it has one of the best descriptions of sex in it I have ever read, and it has teenagers acting with with desperate behavior in an extreme situation. I highly recommend this for readers who love AS King. Now, to go add all of this guy's books to my TBR list.
I love the cover too (normally, I try not to care about covers but they really nailed it on this one).
I love the cover too (normally, I try not to care about covers but they really nailed it on this one).
July 29, 2016
Review also appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7
I received a copy via the publisher in exchange for an honest review--Any moments and/or quotes in this review are from an uncorrected proof.
Spontaneous by Aaron Starmer is a really, really odd book--probably the oddest book I've read all year. But with its oddity came bursts of comedy and surprisingly real commentary on the adolescent experience of having those in your grade spontaneously combust around you (the pun may or may not have been intended). While the protagonist's quirkiness may be something that takes some getting used to, I believe that this was an enjoyable read that some may love, and others may dislike.
To get the negative out of the way, I think that one of the main reasons why others may dislike this novel is because of the quirkiness of the protagonist, Mara. The plot is fascinating and unique, but her view of the world may be less than desirable for some. Also, her quirky storytelling may not be for everyone and while I was a fan, I can definitely see where the unusual storytelling might ruffle some feathers. Some readers like order and a dependable story form, which on occasion Spontaneous appears to override.
With that being said, however, the character relationships are great. Mara's friendship with her best friend, Tess, is inspiring (if not bordering on almost romantic, but perhaps I am reading too much into it). I liked that despite everything, they still kept it real and avoided the dramatic side-effects that some young adult friendships experience. Mara's parents were everything one might wish for if they were ever in a similar and unfortunate situation. I liked that they were there enough to not constitute as absent, but that they understood that their daughter was on the cusp of being an adult and not just a victim (not hovering parents).
Perhaps my favourite aspect of this novel is that Starmer is fantastic at similes and metaphors. He whips them out occasionally and it could all be thanks to his protagonist, who I admittedly learned to love...after a couple of sentences.
Mara's voice, in my opinion, is the perfect narration for the weirdness happening in Spontaneous. Her unpredictability, refusal to admit what she's feeling, and her unapologetic sense of humour both pulled me in, and made me realize how unreliable she can be. Mara is probably one of the realest high school Seniors I've read about in a long time, but there are moments full of self-pity and substance abuse that made her point of view sometimes blurry. Mara has sex, she's the occasional hardcore drinker, and she's tried a few drugs here and there.
I know it's not good to admire a character for these qualities, and okay, I don't actually admire her for them. The reason why these qualities seem important to me is that a) Mara is a TEENAGER who has life experiences beyond moping for a boy, or thinking about college (though, ok, that is sometimes a thought), b) Her sometimes destructive behaviour can be understandably linked to her situation, and c) her parents were really cool and realistic, but they were neither absent nor oblivious to her actions.
Does all of my fangirling about Mara mean that I didn't notice her imperfections? No. I still got annoyed by several of her actions. Her humour was great, but the self deprecation was sometimes a little too thick in some parts. Mara is a character who's easy to love and hate.
The storytelling is another thing I loved about Starmer's novel. He captures the craziness of the situation in how he breaks up the chapters and how he presents the chapter headings. There's a particular chapter where a kid blows up and it just sort of happens. This happens as if it's just a passing comment like "oh, he exploded. Okay," kind of thing, which is exactly how I'd imagine it would be if it happened in front of me as many times as it happens in front of Mara. Starmer both showcases Mara's sense of humour and the randomness of the spontaneous combustion by nonchalantly bringing up that another character has died before the end of a chapter, or by simply cutting a character's dialogue off.
The humour in this made me feel like a terrible person, I'm not even going to lie. I never thought that I'd read a novel that features spontaneously combusting teens and laugh while I turn the pages. Every time a kid exploded, I felt like I was there. Every time Mara made an off-colour joke, I was laughing. Even during situations that called for a straight face, I couldn't help but giggle. This book was just so silly and funny and different.
But like I mentioned earlier in my review, the humour was occasionally interrupted by beautiful choices of words, or descriptions. Underneath the grimness and Mara's darkly funny view of her world, Starmer's beautiful writing shines. He has the ability to make Mara, a character who is so hard to take seriously, into someone more aware than we previously thought. This is successfully done by instances where Mara will comment on the morbidity of her situation. There's a great quote in the ARC that I have that I absolutely love: "I used to think that sunsets were cheesy, that they were images of uninspired sentimentality" (Starmer). It may seem simple and very pessimistic, but I love the potential for truth under those words because everyone experiences things differently.
Written in surprisingly addicting prose, Spontaneous is a great fix for anyone wanting a dose of weird, especially if you've read Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith. Starmer's novel is surprisingly quirky, real, and a darkly fascinating view into the life of a teenager who may or may not spontaneously combust like so many of her classmates.
Happy reading!
I received a copy via the publisher in exchange for an honest review--Any moments and/or quotes in this review are from an uncorrected proof.
Spontaneous by Aaron Starmer is a really, really odd book--probably the oddest book I've read all year. But with its oddity came bursts of comedy and surprisingly real commentary on the adolescent experience of having those in your grade spontaneously combust around you (the pun may or may not have been intended). While the protagonist's quirkiness may be something that takes some getting used to, I believe that this was an enjoyable read that some may love, and others may dislike.
To get the negative out of the way, I think that one of the main reasons why others may dislike this novel is because of the quirkiness of the protagonist, Mara. The plot is fascinating and unique, but her view of the world may be less than desirable for some. Also, her quirky storytelling may not be for everyone and while I was a fan, I can definitely see where the unusual storytelling might ruffle some feathers. Some readers like order and a dependable story form, which on occasion Spontaneous appears to override.
With that being said, however, the character relationships are great. Mara's friendship with her best friend, Tess, is inspiring (if not bordering on almost romantic, but perhaps I am reading too much into it). I liked that despite everything, they still kept it real and avoided the dramatic side-effects that some young adult friendships experience. Mara's parents were everything one might wish for if they were ever in a similar and unfortunate situation. I liked that they were there enough to not constitute as absent, but that they understood that their daughter was on the cusp of being an adult and not just a victim (not hovering parents).
Perhaps my favourite aspect of this novel is that Starmer is fantastic at similes and metaphors. He whips them out occasionally and it could all be thanks to his protagonist, who I admittedly learned to love...after a couple of sentences.
Mara's voice, in my opinion, is the perfect narration for the weirdness happening in Spontaneous. Her unpredictability, refusal to admit what she's feeling, and her unapologetic sense of humour both pulled me in, and made me realize how unreliable she can be. Mara is probably one of the realest high school Seniors I've read about in a long time, but there are moments full of self-pity and substance abuse that made her point of view sometimes blurry. Mara has sex, she's the occasional hardcore drinker, and she's tried a few drugs here and there.
I know it's not good to admire a character for these qualities, and okay, I don't actually admire her for them. The reason why these qualities seem important to me is that a) Mara is a TEENAGER who has life experiences beyond moping for a boy, or thinking about college (though, ok, that is sometimes a thought), b) Her sometimes destructive behaviour can be understandably linked to her situation, and c) her parents were really cool and realistic, but they were neither absent nor oblivious to her actions.
Does all of my fangirling about Mara mean that I didn't notice her imperfections? No. I still got annoyed by several of her actions. Her humour was great, but the self deprecation was sometimes a little too thick in some parts. Mara is a character who's easy to love and hate.
The storytelling is another thing I loved about Starmer's novel. He captures the craziness of the situation in how he breaks up the chapters and how he presents the chapter headings. There's a particular chapter where a kid blows up and it just sort of happens. This happens as if it's just a passing comment like "oh, he exploded. Okay," kind of thing, which is exactly how I'd imagine it would be if it happened in front of me as many times as it happens in front of Mara. Starmer both showcases Mara's sense of humour and the randomness of the spontaneous combustion by nonchalantly bringing up that another character has died before the end of a chapter, or by simply cutting a character's dialogue off.
The humour in this made me feel like a terrible person, I'm not even going to lie. I never thought that I'd read a novel that features spontaneously combusting teens and laugh while I turn the pages. Every time a kid exploded, I felt like I was there. Every time Mara made an off-colour joke, I was laughing. Even during situations that called for a straight face, I couldn't help but giggle. This book was just so silly and funny and different.
But like I mentioned earlier in my review, the humour was occasionally interrupted by beautiful choices of words, or descriptions. Underneath the grimness and Mara's darkly funny view of her world, Starmer's beautiful writing shines. He has the ability to make Mara, a character who is so hard to take seriously, into someone more aware than we previously thought. This is successfully done by instances where Mara will comment on the morbidity of her situation. There's a great quote in the ARC that I have that I absolutely love: "I used to think that sunsets were cheesy, that they were images of uninspired sentimentality" (Starmer). It may seem simple and very pessimistic, but I love the potential for truth under those words because everyone experiences things differently.
Written in surprisingly addicting prose, Spontaneous is a great fix for anyone wanting a dose of weird, especially if you've read Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith. Starmer's novel is surprisingly quirky, real, and a darkly fascinating view into the life of a teenager who may or may not spontaneously combust like so many of her classmates.
Happy reading!
November 7, 2019
Oh boy. This book was a major disappointment for me. I was expecting a book about spontaneous combustion with a funny tannage lead but it turned out to be a coming of age book where spontaneous combustion is either in the background or a thingy veiled plot device. The tag line says : “ A book about growing up... and blowing up” well forget about the blowing up part.
All of this could be forgiven if it weren’t for the other faults in the book: the lead got annoying and she didn’t feel like a teenage girl. She felt like what a middle aged man thought a teenage girl was. It was perturbing.
The side characters are completely unrealistic starting with the love interest that come out of nowhere with seemingly no reason to be interested in the lead as they didn’t know each other before he magically appears going up to the FBI agent who doesn’t know how to do her job and is a class A weirdo.
The plot dragged on for way too long especially considering the ending.
There were however a few redeeming zingers from the main character which were the only reason I didn’t give 1 star.
All of this could be forgiven if it weren’t for the other faults in the book: the lead got annoying and she didn’t feel like a teenage girl. She felt like what a middle aged man thought a teenage girl was. It was perturbing.
The side characters are completely unrealistic starting with the love interest that come out of nowhere with seemingly no reason to be interested in the lead as they didn’t know each other before he magically appears going up to the FBI agent who doesn’t know how to do her job and is a class A weirdo.
The plot dragged on for way too long especially considering the ending.
There were however a few redeeming zingers from the main character which were the only reason I didn’t give 1 star.
March 4, 2017
Warning: I tried to mark spoilers but I need to rant so if there are any then let me know or ignore them!
Huh...what just happened and what on earth did I just read??? I'm really, really, really DISAPPOINTED....it was so good at the start...the narrative was good and the concept seemed really interesting but then suddenly it all went downhill.
I didn't like the ending either, I don't like vague endings and I just didn't get the end. #badending Also I didn't get ANY answers as to why people exploded and while I like the fact that throughout the book it's a come up with your own theory...I'd like to know why please. What I sort of liked was the friendship between Mara and Tess- Overall...#disappointed
Huh...what just happened and what on earth did I just read??? I'm really, really, really DISAPPOINTED....it was so good at the start...the narrative was good and the concept seemed really interesting but then suddenly it all went downhill.
I didn't like the ending either, I don't like vague endings and I just didn't get the end. #badending Also I didn't get ANY answers as to why people exploded and while I like the fact that throughout the book it's a come up with your own theory...I'd like to know why please. What I sort of liked was the friendship between Mara and Tess- Overall...#disappointed
June 23, 2016
I got sucked in by the John Green quote (whom I love), but this book didn't do it for me.
Original, yes. I can't say I've ever read anything like SPONTANEOUS. The writing is good and very conversational. My only issue with the writing is that despite being told from a girl's POV, it felt like a guy was writing it (if that makes sense. I've read plenty of male authors writing this way, John Green's FIOS for example, that believably pulled off a female POV, but this didn't for me).
It's such a weird idea, kids spontaneously exploding, but the actual narrative here is on the boring side. Mara has a very random way of thinking, and she's prone to tangents and flashbacks that don't do much. The whole book has a meandering feel to it. Pretty much every named character gets a few pages of context and backstory, and considering that there are probably a few dozen (or more) named characters in SPONTANEOUS, it kills what little momentum there was to begin with.
There's a romance of a sort, but like everything else in this book, I was left feeling pretty indifferent by it. Maybe that's my real problem here: I didn't care about Mara or any of the many, many other characters that wandered on or off the page. I didn't find the humor all that humorous either, dark or otherwise. I don't know. The other early reviews are all very positive, so maybe this is just not the book for me. Give it a try if the other reviews intrigue you.
Original, yes. I can't say I've ever read anything like SPONTANEOUS. The writing is good and very conversational. My only issue with the writing is that despite being told from a girl's POV, it felt like a guy was writing it (if that makes sense. I've read plenty of male authors writing this way, John Green's FIOS for example, that believably pulled off a female POV, but this didn't for me).
It's such a weird idea, kids spontaneously exploding, but the actual narrative here is on the boring side. Mara has a very random way of thinking, and she's prone to tangents and flashbacks that don't do much. The whole book has a meandering feel to it. Pretty much every named character gets a few pages of context and backstory, and considering that there are probably a few dozen (or more) named characters in SPONTANEOUS, it kills what little momentum there was to begin with.
There's a romance of a sort, but like everything else in this book, I was left feeling pretty indifferent by it. Maybe that's my real problem here: I didn't care about Mara or any of the many, many other characters that wandered on or off the page. I didn't find the humor all that humorous either, dark or otherwise. I don't know. The other early reviews are all very positive, so maybe this is just not the book for me. Give it a try if the other reviews intrigue you.
November 8, 2016
Sooooo I think I know what this author was going for when writing the book.
I mean, come on, people spontaneously combusting? Sounds like a wild ride with plenty of character introspection and growth. When I started Spontaneous, I was ready to find an underrated gem that not many people know of. What I got was a bit different.
Right from the first five pages, I found Mara's voice extremely unlikable. It's probably a "me" thing, but I found her highly unrealistic and like the author tried too hard to make her like a teenager. Her voice was just... too much. Readers find out that Mara witnessed the first couple of teenagers spontaneously combust in front of her face, and Mara's reaction was to say bad jokes and try to put it off. The blurb of this book explains about how it explores grief, so I can understand why she would do that. But at the same time, I feel like the emotional repercussions of having someone's guts blow up on you is much more than just dumb blowing up jokes. The whole scenario was extremely unrealistic, which made me not take this book seriously.
Anyways, full review to come soon. To clarify, I read the first 100 pages of the book and skimmed the last 50 pages and I'm just glad I didn't use up more time to read the middle.
I mean, come on, people spontaneously combusting? Sounds like a wild ride with plenty of character introspection and growth. When I started Spontaneous, I was ready to find an underrated gem that not many people know of. What I got was a bit different.
Right from the first five pages, I found Mara's voice extremely unlikable. It's probably a "me" thing, but I found her highly unrealistic and like the author tried too hard to make her like a teenager. Her voice was just... too much. Readers find out that Mara witnessed the first couple of teenagers spontaneously combust in front of her face, and Mara's reaction was to say bad jokes and try to put it off. The blurb of this book explains about how it explores grief, so I can understand why she would do that. But at the same time, I feel like the emotional repercussions of having someone's guts blow up on you is much more than just dumb blowing up jokes. The whole scenario was extremely unrealistic, which made me not take this book seriously.
Anyways, full review to come soon. To clarify, I read the first 100 pages of the book and skimmed the last 50 pages and I'm just glad I didn't use up more time to read the middle.
October 8, 2017
Reseña completa: http://letraslibrosymas.blogspot.com....
No sé ni qué contar de esta novela, en un primer momento la sinopsis me llamó mucho porque prometía ser una historia peculiar y muy diferente - y lo es, es muy distinta a cualquier novela juvenil que hayas leído créeme- pero también es completamente absurda, sin sentido, sangrienta en exceso y no apta para cualquiera (entre las que me incluyo porque nunca me había atrevido a leer algo tan gore y no creo que vuelva a pasar, no estoy hecha para este tipo de historias). No esperaba que fuera así pero bueno una vez lo empecé decidí terminarla para al menos saber porque explotaban los alumnos, la sorpresa que me he llevado al acabarla y no encontrar respuestas de ningún tipo y encima un final de lo más abierto me ha dejado a cuadros, porque no sé si es cosa mía, pero no he entendido el sentido y el porqué de esta historia. [...]
¿Cosas buenas? Pues aparte de que en puntuales ocasiones el humor sátiro de Mara me ha hecho reír. Tenemos unos capítulos cortos que hacen que sigas pasando páginas porque te mantienen con la intriga de qué está pasando, porque les pasa solo a ellos, como se pueden curar (si es que hay cura) o quien va a ser el siguiente, incluso esperas que le pase algo a Mara o a sus allegados.
No sé ni qué contar de esta novela, en un primer momento la sinopsis me llamó mucho porque prometía ser una historia peculiar y muy diferente - y lo es, es muy distinta a cualquier novela juvenil que hayas leído créeme- pero también es completamente absurda, sin sentido, sangrienta en exceso y no apta para cualquiera (entre las que me incluyo porque nunca me había atrevido a leer algo tan gore y no creo que vuelva a pasar, no estoy hecha para este tipo de historias). No esperaba que fuera así pero bueno una vez lo empecé decidí terminarla para al menos saber porque explotaban los alumnos, la sorpresa que me he llevado al acabarla y no encontrar respuestas de ningún tipo y encima un final de lo más abierto me ha dejado a cuadros, porque no sé si es cosa mía, pero no he entendido el sentido y el porqué de esta historia. [...]
¿Cosas buenas? Pues aparte de que en puntuales ocasiones el humor sátiro de Mara me ha hecho reír. Tenemos unos capítulos cortos que hacen que sigas pasando páginas porque te mantienen con la intriga de qué está pasando, porque les pasa solo a ellos, como se pueden curar (si es que hay cura) o quien va a ser el siguiente, incluso esperas que le pase algo a Mara o a sus allegados.
October 30, 2021
Damn, ok. What an interesting read.
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