I have to admit that I am kind of confused about today's book. It's called Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn. While I was reading it, I loved it, but once I'd finished it, I wasn't so sure.

The premise of the book is that an anonymous female (though it's really obvious who it is) has somehow managed to tune in to the thoughts of 16 year old Gideon Rayburn, who is newly arrived at Midvale, a prep school in Connecticut. It's hilarious. Like, I was reading it at work today and I kept laughing out loud while random customers were in the store hilarious.

"I've gone over this, and I just don't even know where to begin with Molly. I mean... you can't just make a girl like you. Can you?"

This is an excellent question. A hard question. And even though Cullen's not usually up for the hard questions, this is made for him.

Cullen leans his head back against the tree trunk and closes his eyes. Gid eats his sandwich. He took the opportunity of a lunch away from Nicholas to get salami with cheese, mayonnaise, and mustard. It's only cafeteria quality, but it's incredible.

Cullen opens his eyes and sighs with some impatience. "I am trying to imagine what it might be like to get a girl if it was, you know, not ridiculously easy." He closes his eyes again.

Cullen really meant to state the facts, to explain his limitations. Still, it's got to hurt.

Gideon's new roommates are attempting to help him lose his virginity. I know, this story is so done. They even have a bet about it, which is SO done. But Miller manages to make it not seem quite so done. I think because the way she shows us these guys from an outsider's perspective.

However, the ending was really obvious right from the get-go, and it left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Gid's roommates treat girls like crap. And it's sort of like, oh well, they're not bad guys; boys will be boys, you know. It pissed me off. The worst part is that I know I do that too. I have guy friends who treat girls like crap, and I'm always like, whatever, they're not bad guys. But treating other human beings the way Cullen and Nicholas do is really not cool. And although I immensely dislike books where bad guys see the light and turn into good guys, or books where awful things happen to people just because their morality is skewed, I was sort of hoping something like that might happen to these guys.

So I guess final pronouncement on this one is that it's great if all your looking for is a laugh, but don't think too much about it.

As a little Post Script, I feel I should mention for any teachers or librarians reading this, that there is quite a bit of swearing peppered throughout, and the boys spend quite a bit of time smoking pot. There is also a party scene that involves prescription drugs. As per my last swearing book, I think it was all reasonable and realistic, but I can definitely see some parents having a problem or two with it.

Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn by Sarah Miller
ISBN 0312333757
290 pages