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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 A Book that Doesn't Take Itself Too Seriously = Lots of Fun Oct 23, 2009
By The Boleyn Girl
I picked up The Poison Pen of Aberdeen Prep somewhat skeptically. I mean, the author pretty much admitted he pays no attention to the regular rules of grammar and standard usage (which would normally give me a heart attack, grammar geek that I am), but I was surprised to find that once I started reading, the mistakes didn't bother me. Okay, maybe they bothered me a little, but not so much that they got in the way of the plot. I also must take my hat off to Mr. Beesch for self-publishing.
The Poison Pen of Aberdeen Prep doesn't take itself very seriously as a novel, which is the main reason it ended up being so much fun. It didn't try to impart wisdom and experience upon its teen readership, or even teach us a lesson, which might work with some novels but quickly becomes tiresome. That stuff is best left to Aesop. What Aberdeen Prep did was give me a nice and much needed vacation. I couldn't believe it: here was a novel that didn't make me cry, didn't give me any reason to look around at the world and feel depressed, or make me throw it against the wall in frustration over its characters. In fact, I liked these kids--the main character, Tommy, is this delightful Virginian man-child who you can't help but love. Another thing I appreciated was Beesch's willingness to have his characters use witty banter. Sure, high school students don't normally talk like that, but it was entertaining, so why not? It seems that many authors are afraid of criticism, so they give up on trying to be funny. Beesch obviously did not have this qualm, and that's all for the better. Every sentence was a colorful surprise... honestly, that's the only way I can think to explain it.
Some plot lines may have been a little contrived, but again, the fact that Aberdeen Prep isn't a very serious book makes up for this. And the main points, the writing and distributing of The Poison Pen and Tommy's character development, were unique and spot-on. I eagerly await the alternate ending PDF that is supposed to be up on the author's website (Come on, Greg, I'm waiting with bated breath) and would definitely read a sequel if there ever was one. Mainly, I love the characters and I believe that getting the reader to feel attached to the characters is the only sure way of writing a good book. It would have been a 3.5, but I had to add an extra half point just for the creation of such wonderful characters.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Bathroom and vacation reading at it's finest! May 28, 2008
By Greg Beesch
"GregB"
If you have ever taken refuge in a bathroom to escape an annoying relative or spouse, this is the book for you. An absolute essential on any vacation. Schmaltzy, fun, irreverent, a wonderful escape from the concerns of a digital world. Also a great blueprint for high school subversion, a wonderful pastime all to pernicious these days. If P.G.Wodehouse were to rewrite 'Prep', by Curtis Sittenfeld, while really bombed out of his gourd on pastis or home vinted merlot this is what it would look like.
Set in the bygone, and pre-digitally dominated, era of the mid 1980's this book follows the hilarity and mayhem caused by Tommy Parrish at his elite boarding school Aberdeen Preparatory Academy. Tommy, burdened by a standard set of teen woes and undernourished in adventure, finds a seditious voice when he begins anonymously posting and secreting distributing a handbill he entitles 'The Poison Pen'. Not your standard coming of age novel and certainly lacking in zombies and vampire romance but this novel is packed with lots of sublime lunacy.
A real standard setting story in the boarding/prep school genre. Exceeds 'Prep' (Sittenfeld) and 'Old School' (Wolff) in every dimension of fun and sublime frivolity. An indispensible addition to any bathroom library.
Courtesy of Teens Read Too Jan 19, 2009
By TeensReadToo
"Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier."
High school junior Tommy Parrish is in his second year at Aberdeen Preparatory, and hates almost every minute of it.
It's not that he leads a bad life, and he knows it, but for him, prep school is just plain boring. He and his best friend, Henry, do just about all the things that average fictional boarding-school boys do: complain about school, obsess over girls, and, well, that about covers it. And yet, despite their typicality, they give off an ineffable air of completely owning the school.
The novel starts off slowly--very slowly--and if the author's intent is for the reader to feel some of the same ennui that the character is, well, he succeeds. I can't say it's an enjoyable experience, but the result is that, by the time Tommy decides to do something other than describe the school life he finds boring in excruciating detail, the reader is more than ready to read it.
The result of this teenage angst and ennui is the "seditious" news sheet entitled The Poison Pen that Tommy writes and posts around his school. While Tommy finds the inspiration for this format of distribution in Martin Luther's famous act of nailing his 95 Theses to the door of Wittenberg Church in Germany, beginning the Protestant Reformation, there doesn't seem to be anything quite that revolutionary going on in The Poison Pen.
Early editions read more like a satire of satirical newspapers such as The Onion rather than as seditious tracts against authority. But I guess that if you go to Aberdeen Prep, even stories about the faculty denying that your chem teacher is a zombie are better than the monotony of day-to-day life.
The novel's first-person point of view has its hits and misses. Sometimes, the verbose inner monologue kept up by Tommy Parrish provides significant insight into the kind of person he is, and into the secretive world of prep school students. At other times, the wordiness seems faked, and some readers may feel cheated out of knowing Tommy's real character, which the excess of language seems to mask.
The first two chapters of the book move very slowly, as I mentioned before, and it's in these chapters that the author's stylistic decisions are the most frustrating. However, as the real conflict emerges with the publication of The Poison Pen, the story gains more power and writes itself into a voice that's easier to read--or maybe I just got used to it.
Reviewed by: Candace Cunard
Clever, Quick, Unstoppable Jun 29, 2008
By blessed
If you're looking for a great summer read, I highly suggest Mr. 'Laugh Riot' Greg Beesch, author of The Poison Pen ([...]), self-described man of "twisted steel and sex appeal", dis-ser of all things 'traditional publishing model', and creator of a most 'impeccable' ;) role model for boys ( and girls) ages 15 to 115. And to all of us whose childhood memories are soaked with Enid Blyton's Mallory Towers series, dig into some Americana Boarding School lore! You'll love it. The author and his book are hilarious. Check him out in an interview on [...]. I just had to get to know him better!
I couldn't agree more.... Jun 25, 2008
By Hugh Jasz
"Hugh Jasz"
I really enjoyed how the author gave great insight to each character. Right from the start, Mr Beesch paints a clear picture of Tommy and each of his friends/classmates, etc. It was easy to get inside Tommy's head and understand his cynical attitude and contempt for Aberdeen.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to more from Mr Beesch!
See all 7 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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