Palo Alto
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Palo Alto
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Narrated by:
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James Franco
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Stacey Miller
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By:
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James Franco
About this listen
A fiercely vivid collection of stories about troubled California teenagers and misfits - violent and harrowing, from the astonishingly talented actor and artist James Franco.
Palo Alto is the debut of a surprising and powerful new literary voice. Written with an immediate sense of place - claustrophobic and ominous - James Franco's collection traces the lives of an extended group of teenagers as they experiment with vices of all kinds, struggle with their families and one another, and succumb to self-destructive, often heartless nihilism.
In "Lockheed" a young woman's summer - spent working a dull internship - is suddenly upended by a spectacular incident of violence at a house party. In "American History" a high-school freshman attempts to impress a girl during a classroom skit with a realistic portrayal of a slave owner, only to have his feigned bigotry avenged. In "I Could Kill Someone" a lonely teenager buys a gun with the aim of killing his high-school tormentor, but begins to wonder about his bully's own inner life.
These linked stories, stark, vivid, and disturbing, are a compelling portrait of lives on the rough fringes of youth.
©2010 James Franco (P)2010 Simon & SchusterListeners also enjoyed...
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 92
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 91
Vera’s spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she’s kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything. So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone - the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to? Edgy and gripping, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an unforgettable novel: Smart, funny, dramatic, and always surprising.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Moving, disturbing, and humorous
- By Julie on 08-26-11
By: A. S. King
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Stick
- By: Andrew Smith
- Narrated by: Josh Hurley
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 34
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 31
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 31
Fourteen-year-old Stark McClellan (nicknamed Stick because he’s tall and thin) is bullied for being "deformed" - he was born with only one ear. His older brother, Bosten, is always there to defend Stick. But the boys can’t defend each other from their abusive parents. When Stick realizes Bosten is gay, he knows that to survive his father's anger, Bosten must leave home. Stick has to find his brother, or he will never feel whole again. In his search, he will encounter good people, bad people, and people who are simply indifferent to kids from the wrong side of the tracks. But he never loses hope of finding love - and his brother.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing book!
- By Christopher Gaines on 02-19-18
By: Andrew Smith
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Chelsea Girls
- A Novel
- By: Eileen Myles
- Narrated by: Eileen Myles
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 115
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 104
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 100
In this breathtakingly inventive autobiographical novel, Eileen Myles transforms life into a work of art. Told in her audacious voice, made vivid and immediate in her lyrical language, Chelsea Girls cobbles together memories of Myles's 1960s Catholic upbringing with an alcoholic father, her volatile adolescence, her unabashed "lesbianity," and her riotous pursuit of survival as a poet in 1970s New York.
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5 out of 5 stars
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fascinatingly skanky
- By Megon J. Walker on 07-15-16
By: Eileen Myles
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The Taqwacores
- By: Michael Muhammad Knight
- Narrated by: Shahjehan Khan
- Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 46
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
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Story4 out of 5 stars 39
A Muslim punk house in Buffalo, New York, inhabited by burqa-wearing riot girls, mohawked Sufis, straight-edge Sunnis, Shi'a skinheads, Indonesian skaters, Sudanese rude boys, gay Muslims, drunk Muslims, and feminists. Their living room hosts parties and prayers, with a hole smashed in the wall to indicate the direction of Mecca. Their life together mixes sex, dope, and religion in roughly equal amounts, expressed in devotion to an Islamo-punk subculture, "taqwacore".
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5 out of 5 stars
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Quick, fun, interesting listen
- By Mark on 05-03-11
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Darling Days
- A Memoir
- By: iO Tillett Wright
- Narrated by: iO Tillett Wright
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 409
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 377
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Story5 out of 5 stars 373
Born into the beautiful bedlam of downtown New York in the eighties, iO Tillett Wright came of age at the intersection of punk, poverty, heroin, and art. This was a world of self-invented characters, glamorous superstars, and strung-out sufferers, ground zero of drag and performance art. Still, no personality was more vibrant and formidable than iO's mother's. Rhonna, a showgirl and young widow, was a mercurial, erratic glamazon. She was iO's fiercest defender and only authority in a world with few boundaries and even fewer indicators of normal life.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Can’t wait for more from this Author!
- By Team Hobson on 07-24-19
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Looking for Alaska
- By: John Green
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,200
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,886
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,880
Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words - and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet François Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps”. Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young, who will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I am concussed dot-dot-dot
- By Bren McKenna on 10-01-19
By: John Green
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Marlena
- A Novel
- By: Julie Buntin
- Narrated by: Emma Galvin
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 609
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 554
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Story4 out of 5 stars 557
Everything about 15-year-old Cat's new town in rural Michigan is lonely and off-kilter until she meets her neighbor, the manic, beautiful, pill-popping Marlena. Cat, inexperienced and desperate for connection, is quickly lured into Marlena's orbit by little more than an arched eyebrow and a shake of white-blond hair. As the two girls turn the untamed landscape of their desolate small town into a kind of playground, Cat catalogues a litany of firsts - first drink, first cigarette, first kiss - while Marlena's habits harden and calcify.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Brilliant, Agonizing Portrait of a Young Woman
- By Sudi on 06-06-17
By: Julie Buntin
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The Death of Cool
- From Teenage Rebellion to the Hangover of Adulthood
- By: Gavin McInnes
- Narrated by: Gavin McInnes
- Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,191
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,051
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Story5 out of 5 stars 1,051
This is his story, or, rather, stories - lots of them, and all gut-punchingly hilarious, from that first far reach into a girl's tight jeans to turning forty with a cataclysmic party. In between you’ll hear about acid trips, threesomes, Nazi skinheads, his band Anal Chinook (Inuit for “warm wind”), Martians in northern Canada, throwing pedophiles in jail, dinner with the Clash, what happens when you crash Bill Maher's show wasted, and the true story of Vice magazine.
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5 out of 5 stars
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if you don't buy this book, the terrorists win
- By Kelsey Gholi on 04-03-17
By: Gavin McInnes
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The Center of Everything
- By: Laura Moriarty
- Narrated by: Julie Dretzin
- Length: 13 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 118
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 103
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Story4 out of 5 stars 101
The Center of Everything is the fictional story of 10-year-old math prodigy Evelyn Bucknow. Living in Kansas with her single mother and deeply religious grandmother, Evelyn believes she is destined to marry Travis, the boy next door. But as she grows up, she experiences the heartbreak of a love not meant to be. Author Laura Moriarty was a recipient of the George Bennet Fellowship for Creative Writing at Phillips Exeter Academy.
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1 out of 5 stars
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not religious fiction
- By Theresa Jameson on 04-28-14
By: Laura Moriarty
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A Good Country
- A Novel
- By: Laleh Khadivi
- Narrated by: Assaf Cohen
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 37
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
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Story4 out of 5 stars 33
A timely novel about the radicalization of a Muslim teen in California - about where identity truly lies, and how we find it. Laguna Beach, California, 2010. Reza Courdee, a 14-year-old straight-A student and chemistry whiz, takes his first hit of pot. In as long as it takes to inhale and exhale, he is transformed from the high-achieving son of Iranian immigrants into a happy-go-lucky stoner.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A very important contribution
- By Mia on 05-29-17
By: Laleh Khadivi
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The Complete Lockpick Pornography
- By: Joey Comeau
- Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton
- Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 19
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 19
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 19
Combining two novellas into one volume, this collection explores the effects of prejudice and the ramifications of violence with a slightly unhinged sense of humor and unexpected tenderness. Lockpick Pornography, originally published in 2005, is a gender-queer adventure story that was not widely available until now. We All Got It Coming presents the experiences of a young couple dealing with the aftermath of an act of violence. From kidnapping the son of a "family values" politician to violent confrontation, these are characters who fight back.
By: Joey Comeau
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Bad Kid
- A Memoir
- By: David Crabb
- Narrated by: David Crabb
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 76
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 71
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 71
Discovering George Michael's Faith confirmed for David Crabb what every bully already knew: He was gay. What saved him from high school was finding a group of outlandish friends who reveled in being outsiders. David found himself enmeshed with misfits: wearing black, cutting class, staying out all night, drinking, tripping, chain-smoking, idolizing the Pet Shop Boys - and learning lessons about life and love along the way.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I wish I could give this audiobook 1,000 stars
- By Kari Delaney on 02-01-23
By: David Crabb
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Mecca
- By: Susan Straight
- Narrated by: Patricia R. Floyd, Frankie Corzo, Shaun Taylor-Corbett
- Length: 12 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 93
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 73
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Story4 out of 5 stars 73
Johnny Frías has California in his blood. A descendant of the state’s indigenous people and Mexican settlers, he has Southern California’s forgotten towns and canyons in his soul. He spends his days as a highway patrolman pulling over speeders, ignoring their racist insults, and pushing past the trauma of his rookie year, when he killed a man assaulting a young woman named Bunny, who ran from the scene, leaving Johnny without a witness.
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4 out of 5 stars
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An eye opening read
- By Anonymous User on 10-10-22
By: Susan Straight
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The Shadow Year
- A Novel
- By: Jeffrey Ford
- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 55
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 42
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Story4 out of 5 stars 42
On New York's Long Island, in the unpredictable decade of the 1960s, a young boy spends much of his free time in the basement of his family's modest home, where he and his brother, Jim, have created Botch Town, a detailed cardboard replica of their community, complete with figurines representing friends and neighbors. Their little sister, Mary, smokes cigarettes, speaks in other voices, inhabits alternate personas... and, unbeknownst to her siblings, moves around the inanimate clay residents.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Couldn't stop listening!!!
- By Marjory on 12-12-10
By: Jeffrey Ford
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Sprout
- By: Dale Peck
- Narrated by: Ted Coluca Jr.
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 98
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 76
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Story4 out of 5 stars 77
Sprout Bradford has a secret. It's not what you think he'll tell you he's gay. He'll tell you about his dads drinking and his mother's death. The green fingerprints everywhere tell you when he last dyed his hair. But neither the reader nor Sprout are prepared for what happens when Sprout suddenly finds he's had a more profound effect on the lives around him than he ever thought possible. Sprout is both hilarious and gripping; a story of one boy at odds with the expected.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent Coming of Age Story
- By marie on 07-17-13
By: Dale Peck
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I'm Down
- A Memoir
- By: Mishna Wolff
- Narrated by: Mishna Wolff
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 182
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 126
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Story4 out of 5 stars 128
Mishna Wolff grew up in a poor black neighborhood with her single father, a white man who truly believed he was black. "He strutted around with a short perm, a Cosby-esque sweater, gold chains and a Kangol---telling jokes like Redd Fox, and giving advice like Jesse Jackson. You couldn't tell my father he was white. Believe me, I tried," writes Wolff. And so from early childhood on, her father began his crusade to make his white daughter down.
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1 out of 5 stars
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I stopped listening an hour in....
- By Casey on 11-07-09
By: Mishna Wolff
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We'll Fly Away
- By: Bryan Bliss
- Narrated by: James Fouhey
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 32
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
Best friends since childhood, Luke and Toby have dreamed of one thing: getting out of their dead-end town. Soon they finally will, riding the tails of Luke's wrestling scholarship, never looking back. If they don't drift apart first. If Toby's abusive dad, or Luke's unreliable mom, or anything else their complicated lives throw at them doesn't get in the way. In a format that alternates between Luke's letters to Toby from death row and the events of their senior year, Bryan Bliss expertly unfolds the circumstances that led to Luke's incarceration.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Great Story Except....
- By Willizz on 05-18-18
By: Bryan Bliss
What listeners say about Palo Alto
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Chuck
- 10-06-15
A Pleasant Surprise
Enjoyed these stories quite a bit. Nice readings by James Franco and Stacey Miller.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- KellyEliza
- 08-14-15
Weird Stuff
Any additional comments?
Some of the stories r good. Some just drone on and on!!!
The last couple stories just would not end!!!
I still would recommend this because for the most part its good.
Now as for Franco as narrator, there is something tiring about his voice. It just puts u to sleep! For the most part he does well in the reading, but in some places its just so boring!!!
In conclusion I'd would recommend this book even though some stories r boring and Franco s voice at times puts u to sleep.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Hannah Waff
- 12-29-15
All Kinds of Feels
What did you love best about Palo Alto?
Palo Alto by James Franco was a weird collection of stories, but in a dark, unforgiving, this is what happened kind of way. Do I recommend it? - Depends on who's asking. Not all stories are written to 'appeal to the masses.' The snippets of different perspectives left me creating a fate for each character, which I couldn't help but doing. It was kind of like the choose your own adventure novels we all used to read as kids, except for your gut predictions formed the outcomes.
Have you listened to any of James Franco and Stacey Miller ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No, this was my first.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Deana Dee
- 08-15-16
Hit Home
Would you listen to Palo Alto again? Why?
Maybe. It was compelling to me because I grew up in the SF Bay Area it brought me back to how difficult and confusing it was at that age. It is a very raw look at like in suburbia where parents are too busy, too weak or too much in denial to have an in-depth relationship with their children and how lost and hopeless kids can become with no direction and then thrown in the shark tank that is American High School.
Who was your favorite character and why?
The characters were confusing and depressed for the most part. I feel sorry for all of them and to some extent feel sorry for who I was at that age. So my favorite character is me...
Which scene was your favorite?
The realization that the meek don't inherit the earth.
Who was the most memorable character of Palo Alto and why?
April because of the way she was just persuaded into the molestation of her coach. That sort of thing is so much more common than anyone can imagine. Its horrifying.
Any additional comments?
I am at the same time depressed and refreshed for having been reminded of those years and then having an opportunity to share those things in the company of others
through his book. Franco wanted to connect an older generation with a newer one and he did it perfectly. He crossed a couple of decades to reveal the pain we share of being young, entitled, and confused by the world we live in where apathy rules.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Robert J
- 07-14-14
Teen reality not like the Disney channel
Would you listen to Palo Alto again? Why?
James Franco reveals the true graphic and brutal reality of high school.
What other book might you compare Palo Alto to and why?
There isn't a comparison.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Two points.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Val H.
- 01-07-23
Insufferable
If the title of this review didn’t immediately have you running to another book, let THIS be the sign.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Marla
- 10-02-15
Most likely only published bc it was written
by James franco. He should stick to acting
and I never bother to review books but this one was quite lame.
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