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Cover of MEMOIR OF AN INNOCENT BRAT
3.74

Based on 39 Goodreads ratings

MEMOIR OF AN INNOCENT BRAT

by Lu is “a stereotypical artist: thirty\u002Done, living off [Pete’s] hard\u002Dearned money.” Before the day is over, Pete’s moved out of the house owned by Toby’s wealthy dad and is living in his friend Johnny’s spare room. Through Johnny, Pete gains two more valuable things: a barista job at the cozy, plant\u002Dcluttered Volcano Café and the code to Johnny’s gun safe. Pete adores his return to barista life, but is promptly fired when he throws an iced latte into the face of a hyper\u002Ddemanding customer. The incident winds up online, and soon Pete’s a viral internet icon, a “BRATista” remixed into countless Charli XCX\u002Dsoundtracked videos that hail him as a fighter for service workers everywhere. A transformative night at the Charli XCX\u002Dled SWEAT tour convinces Pete to become a pop music critic, but he’s quickly castigated for his lukewarm review of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album. Hurt, he tracks down his primary digital tormentor, a Chicagoan named Frankie, and takes a road trip to a trendy Chicago cafe to confront him, carrying Johnny’s loaded gun in the backseat “just for security.” When he returns after a whirlwind weekend with the surprisingly kind—and hot—Frankie, police inform him that Toby was found shot to death, and Pete’s the primary suspect. Wang’s hyperspecific digressions on Brooklyn millennial gay life—including specialty coffee culture, hookup app etiquette, and a track\u002Dby\u002Dtrack breakdown of the SWEAT tour—are deeply entertaining but long\u002Dwinded. Pete spends much of the novel interfacing solely with a screen, and it’s both fun and exhausting to read the play\u002Dby\u002Dplays of his digital activities, rendered in fond but frustrated detail."

Book Details

Publisher:Of
Published:2024-01-01
Format:paperback
Language:English
ISBN:9781069506

Reading Info

Age Range:12-18

About This Book

This raw, unflinching memoir captures the turbulent journey of a rebellious youth navigating the treacherous waters of adolescence, family conflict, and self-discovery. The narrative voice crackles w...

Our Review

This raw, unflinching memoir captures the turbulent journey of a rebellious youth navigating the treacherous waters of adolescence, family conflict, and self-discovery. The narrative voice crackles with authenticity as it chronicles the protagonist's defiant stance against authority figures and societal expectations, offering readers an intimate look at the complicated emotions driving teenage rebellion. Through vivid scenes of confrontation and quiet moments of reflection, the book explores how one young person's "bratty" exterior often masks deeper struggles with identity and belonging.

What sets this coming-of-age story apart is its refusal to sanitize the messy reality of growing up, presenting flawed characters and complex situations without easy resolutions. Teen readers wrestling with their own feelings of alienation will find validation in these pages, while the emotional honesty provides genuine insight into the teenage experience. The memoir ultimately delivers a powerful message about resilience and self-acceptance that lingers long after the final chapter.

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