The Punk Ethic by Timothy Decker

Name: The Punk Ethic by Timothy Decker.
Pages: 188.
Publication: 1st May 2012/Namelos.
Rating: ✮✮✮½✩✩
Pre-Order It: Amazon


"Back to music, what are songs anyway? They’re crappy little stories. And there are two kinds: the whiny confession. Which suck. And the fictional story. Which suck. All this strumming and singing is a waste. I’m tired of wasting time. I don’t want to tell anybody anything about me. That’s stupid. I don’t want to invent some story. I don’t want to be entertaining. That’s stupid.

I have to do something. Wake up, Martin. Go start something. Go!

If you want to rock, you come out swinging. Well, Martin Henry just made a fist.
Challenged by a teacher to actually “do” something, Martin walks a minefield of idiot friends, an unfathomable Dream Girl, high school, and relative pennilessness to prove that he can change the world.
The funny thing about change, it screws up everything. Whatever…"

Review.

The Punk Ethic revolves around a month of rock guitarist Martin Henry's adolescent life. His life involves music, school, cynical statements, Holly and trying to the world one landmine at a time.

When I began reading The Punk Ethic, I will not lie, I was pretty confused. You are thrown right into Martin's life knowing nothing about him. The book is short at less than two hundred pages, I feel that Decker could have used some of those pages to explain, well, Martin. Each chapter is a different day and have a really cool illstration that corresponds with the chapter. I thought it was a very cool and unique touch to the book.

Martin is a very interesting. I really enjoyed reading his point of view. Martin's mind works differently to other of his age. He seems to see the bigger picture. He actually seems like someone I would be friends with in real life; someone completely absorbed by music and also  great with English, which sounds exactly like three of my friends! My favourite parts of the book were reading the excerpts of Martin's English assignments. 

I also really liked Martin's friend, Jeff. Himself and Martin have some great battle of the wits scenes throughout the book. I did not, however, like Holly. I could not see what Martin saw in her and it was not really explained either. I think the only reason he likes her is because she is the only girl to truly hang out with him. That is my opinion anyway, I could be wrong. 

The book practically ends mid-sentence and I was very confused and disappointed that nothing was wrapped up. BUT I found out that there is issue with the ARC's provided from NetGalley so hopefully I will find out what happens soon enough with those missing pages.   

Final Thought.

Give it a read. The Punk Ethic is a smart and witty story which also touches on the more difficult aspects of being a teenager.