Starter for Ten

Alright, so I just finished “Starters for 10” by David Nicholas, and let me tell you, it was a bit of a rollercoaster. It's basically a coming-of-age story about a young guy trying to navigate his way through early adulthood, with a hefty dose of romance thrown in.

Not gonna lie, the first few chapters were a drag. I mean, I get it, the author was trying to set everything up, introduce characters, and all that jazz, but man, was I bored. The writing style? It's a mixed bag. Sometimes it feels fast-paced and you're flying through pages, but other times it really drags. The highs are pretty high, but the lows? They're down there.

One thing that really bugged me was the main character, Brian. He's supposed to be this relatable, awkward guy, but sometimes he's just plain frustrating. He makes some pretty questionable decisions, especially when it comes to chasing after this girl who seems to have no personality beyond being beautiful. It's like, come on, dude, get it together!

But try to hang in there, because once you push through that slow start, this book does pick up. The middle part? Pretty solid. I found myself laughing out loud at times – it's got some genuinely funny moments. And some of the characters do grow on you, even if Brian can be a bit much.

Now, let's talk about the romance, which is a major theme here. I'm not usually big on mushy stuff, and honestly, this love story isn't exactly groundbreaking. It's cute at times, but also kind of shallow and predictable.

If you're into coming-of-age stories with a dose of British humor, this might be up your alley. It's all about university life, first loves, and finding yourself – you know, the usual young adult stuff, but with a quirky twist.

But here's the kicker – the ending. Oh boy, the ending. I was starting to enjoy the journey, but then the author just had to go and drop the ball. I'm not even exaggerating when I say it pissed me off. It was so disappointing and out of left field, I couldn't believe it.

Despite the issues – the slow start, Brian's annoying moments, and that letdown ending – I'd still give it 3 out of 5 stars. It's got enough fun parts to make it a decent read, especially if you've been through (or are about to go through) university, or just enjoy a laugh at the awkwardness of young adulthood. But maybe borrow it from the library rather than buying it outright.

So, yeah, overall, it was an okay read with some good moments and some not-so-great ones. It's not going to change your life, but it might entertain you for a bit – just don't expect too much from the ending.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

** this book had some seriously good LOL moments and such tight writing but I don't enjoy David Nicholls' weak-ass defence of the protagonist's sexist-entitled behaviour who is a proper prick**

Our hero is a man child with deeply sexist and racist ideas and claims to be a liberal - often using his “intellectual capacity” as a shield against his vulnerability and teenage insecurities. His lying, cheating, misogynistic actions all go unpunished and had his own “happily ever after” with “she is not like other girls” heroine. No, no, just no.

I love the quotes, quiz questions at the beginning of the book. How real and raw the university scene is talked about, the coming of age struggle, the loss of a loved one, the chase of a beautiful stranger but this archaic understanding of “out-of-my-league hottie” for whom he'll spread himself thing and kiss his self-respect goodbye only to turn back and call her “she is pretty and she knows it”, or “prick teaser” is unacceptable. What is more unacceptable is him findings a happy ending with a “not too pretty, cursing a lot but so bloody smart” girl. These tropes are just - argh - no. The target audience for this book is teens and adolescents and we really don't want this message for them.
David, you know how to write a story well and I enjoyed and laughed at some bits.
But I can't, I just can't enjoy this trope of “intelligent” boys who feel victimised because “they are the nice nerdy guys but pretty hot girls don't like me so I'll act like a desperate creep and stalk her and get outraged when she eventually rejects me and call her an attention-seeking whore/prick-tricker but also expect everyone else to feel pity for me because I'm the poor nerdy nice guy. “
And the worst thing? They are real, very very real.

This could have been so much more satisfying and enjoyable :/