It was hard to put down... intellectually stimulating... and very crass and adolescent. I don't get it, but I did finish reading it (even though I wanted to stop).

Pendarvis writes very clever and funny (and puerile) short stories. He also has a very good blog. It feels like he is gasping for air by the end of this short novel, though. There are moments of brilliance to be found here but the only thing that is truly awesome about Awesome is the amount of silliness contained within.

Zany, crazy book. Told in the narrative style of a picaresque adventurer, but this narrator is unlike any other you'll ever encounter.

His absolute self-confidence and oblivious condescension to others less fortunate (and that means everyone) is hilarious. I could never in a million years have guessed where the story was heading at any given moment; and, like Pia, I am in awe of JP's imagination.

Looking back on this, I can't recall exactly why I disliked it so much. The cover is cool, which is what prompted me to buy it. However, the story didn't go anywhere and I found the main character to be highly obnoxious and unlikable. I wish I could say something good about it but I can't recall enjoying reading it at all.

I really did not enjoy this book. Pendarvis writes like a perverted 14-year-old boy who's trying to show off.

Started this and was going to return it to the library unfinished, but based on the other reviews here I'm gonna give it a second chance.

Awesome? Not so much. Got through 60 pages and gave up because it was so ridiculous. Not sure why I kept reading for that long. It's trying to be all smarty-pants and witty, but it's just weird. Don't bother.

Amazing unexpected good book.

This is a clever and witty absurdist tall tale. It's fun to read, but not profound. It sounds like something Mark Leyner would have written for THE BELIEVER magazine, filtered through a MCSWEENEYS text translator, then put in the language equivalent of one of those rock tumbler polishers for a couple weeks.

The protagonist is a narcissistic yet well-meaning giant with a razor sharp command of the English language. AWESOME flirts with existentialism, but does not take itself seriously at all, with plenty of references to pop culture and scatological humor... and wieners. All orifices -- real or imagined -- are explored.

At first, the book is merely cute, too self-consciously in-your-face jokey. About halfway through the book, it grew on me enough to continue to the end. It's like beginning a meal with dessert, but never getting to the meat & potatoes. You start with candy (Pixie Stix and Smarties) and end with a hot fudge sundae. It won't change your life, but if you want a playful palate-cleanser between more serious or heavy books, this skillful exercise is a good choice.

I think that if Dean Winchester ever wrote a fictional novel, it would be this book. It’s the ridiculous and over-the-top story of a giant named Awesome. Just go with it.