I can definitely say that this was different. It really was like going through a horny teenage boy’s diary. He’s supposed to be every girl’s dream and what not, but things aren’t going so well for him. This book made me imagine a kid, somewhat over exaggerated, and definitely awkward. There wasn’t much of a plot, just a lot of rambling thoughts, but I guess that’s what you can expect from a horny teenager. The story is overall pretty funny, but beware that its also raunchy as hell. It was interesting to see inside this mind, and I was amused. So I am not sure if it’s because I'm a female that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy this one, but it was just okay for me. I gave it 3.5 4 - stars because if anything, it was at least funny.

Cole is the boy your friends will warn you about.

Handsome and athletic, with just the right amount of artsy thrown in, he’s every teenage girl’s dream — on the surface. But he’s starting to get himself a reputation as less of a lady’s man and more of a lady killer. He’s rifled through the girls in his high school class like a rabid raccoon the night before trash pick-up day, and the result is something just as unsightly.

He has the same problem every high school boy has — he can’t stop thinking about sex. He thinks about it at the breakfast table — mom and oatmeal notwithstanding. He thinks about it every time a girl pushes past him to get to her locker and he’s left in a cloud of her intoxicating perfume. He thinks about it while practicing on the high school’s track, and it’s really not his fault because who wouldn’t be thinking about sex with the cheerleaders practicing their stretches and high kicks just a few feet away? Cole is obsessed, and when he can’t get it from the girls at school, he has to resort to what is arguably his second favorite pastime — girls on film.

All the Dirty Parts is a hilariously tragic tale of a high school boy and his fixation on the appendage hanging between his legs. While the insight into the boy’s mind is sometimes crude, raunchy, and cringe-worthy, it’s also something that leaves readers sharply aware of the differences between men and women and how early these differences come about. While Cole is ruled primarily by his most basic of instincts and dominated by his body, the fairer sex involved in the story has a firm hold over her brain and a sharp cunning that is a marvel to behold.

Readers will travel along with Cole as he transitions from a playboy to the one getting played, and how sex plays a pivotal part in not only his world, but the immediate lives around him. Once he catches feelings for the exotic new girl in town (who sought him out primarily because of his sexual reputation), his obsession with sex turns from one of basic release to actually. . .performing an act of love. Readers won’t be surprised at how things eventually play out for Cole, but they may be surprised at how they feel just a tad bit sad for the boy who lost control of his heart before he even realized what was happening.

I give All the Dirty Parts a 4 out of 5 star rating, and I recommend it to anyone who is curious about the inner-workings of a teenage boy or need a reprieve from serious tomes in the way of a humorous tale. I do stress that this book is not for readers under the age of 18, as there is a lot of graphic sexual language and scenes throughout the entirety of the book. And when I say entirety — I mean WHOLE BOOK. I really loved the humor and how the author poked such fun at his main character, but in such a clever way. . . the perspective is very unique in that while it is first-person, it is much more simple — seeming to be told directly from the bare mind of Cole and all of his teenage glory. The supporting characters, primarily his best friend, are rich and welcome attachments to the progression, and I did not blame their decisions one bit, in the end.

This book lives true to its title and is indeed. . . all the dirty parts.

Just couldn't get into this. 50 pages about the teenage boy mind and masturbation and I gave up.

I wish Daniel Handler published more because few writers can surprise me like he can. Obviously, I know that quality work takes time, effortless as it may seem, but excellent writing like this makes you feel greedy. Daniel Handler writes dialogue like no one else. And I'll be damned if he didn't change my sensibilities re: Cole by the end of the book. I don't usually re-read fiction, but I can't wait to back this one up and read it again,.

Cole is a timely, relatable character, but the story needs more sturcture to make the the random thoughts of a teen male interesting. Despite the specificity of Cole's inexpert sexual exploits it is neither insightful nor entertaining. Boring.

Let me put it this way: this book is literally all the dirty parts. It felt like a novel with absolutely no filler, just the parts where Cole is either thinking about or having sex. It made for a quick read but it left me wanting more. I would have liked to see some of the other characters more and learn how one scene led to the next.

Not at all what I expected, but very interesting style. At first I was going to give up on it because the tone seemed very misogynistic. That was until it progressed and with it it the character. Seeing the transformation throughout the book was great. At that point I wish it had been longer.

I was curious about this book. I would not recommend reading it. It is all sex. No story. One dimensional characters. I am glad it was short. I couldn't take much more.

I don't even know what to say. I am not quite sure how this was published.

Cole is a young sexaholic. He will have sex with anyone, and sometimes you think, anything. When the girls weren't available, he did it with Alec. But he dumped Alec when the girls came around again. Alec wasn't too happy. The book is a series of short vignettes about Cole's escapades. Like many things, a little goes a long way. Problem is, there is a lot, and it gets boring. Once you have the picture, the novelty wears off. I found myself skimming pages. Lots of them. I don't think I missed a thing.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I am not a dude, but I imagine this book reflects the inner monologue of most teen aged boys. The book follows Cole on his journey through the ups and downs of sex. It covers girls, exploring sexuality and the ever fateful crash into love.

I kept thinking to myself, "Why am I reading this?" But the story was so enthralling that I read it in just a few hours. The narrative was a little graphic at times, but what do you expect from a book about sex? This book is not for the faint of heart, but if you enjoy a quick dirty read, try All the Dirty Parts.

Obviously not anything like the books written under his moniker, but understandable why it isn't published under it. I really enjoyed it. I think it's a great book for not shielding teens and their sexuality, so long as you guide and talk to them about it. This book is definitely a conversation starter.

Daniel Handler wasn't kidding when he said he was typing all the dirty parts. This book literally is ALL THE DIRTY PARTS. It's nothing but sex. Seriously.

I really, really wanted to like this, but it was so choppy and went all over the place. Very well written, and I appreciate the stream of consciousness, but I don't think this book was for me.

Handler's short novel ode to teen age sexual angst, exploration and frustrated love is unlike anything you will read. A hard to describe slice of teenage life loaded with sex and promiscuity is also a semi cautionary tale of the perils of unbounded sex. And it's also funny. Recommended.

I am so, so, so hurt to say I didn't like this book very much. The thing is, as an author, I love and appreciate Daniel Handler. In fact, he is one of my favorites. He can create real characters who speak with real dialogue, do real things, have real problems, and go to real places. His work never feels artificial or trite. However, I really didn't see the point of this book. Not only did the first 40-50 pages exist solely to set up Cole's graphic sexual exploits (and that's a large portion for a 144 page story), but the rest of the book just detailed all the various times and ways he had sex with Grisaille. Neither of them are very interesting or likeable, and not a lot of plot happens. I thought there was an interesting and unexpected arc that followed Cole and Alec's bout of sexual experimentation, and I honestly thought that's the direction the whole story was going to go. That might have been more interesting than what actually happened. The book's one, clear conflict was the strange and troubling event where Grisaille tells Cole to sleep with a freshman at a party because it'll turn her on. Although he didn't like the idea, he does it anyway. In return, he walks in a few days later to find her jerking off some other guy, and then she has the nerve to get angry and offended when he's upset by it. I think there lies a lesson here about sexual fluidity and consent and communication, but I think it got lost in translation. The ending kind of petered out, and rather than our protagonist experiencing a meaningful change, it seems the author only sought to punish Cole by turning the tables on him.

This book was quite different from other books I have read by this author. I think it needs to come with an R rated label. It was very vulgar but I enjoyed reading most of it. I think teenage boys will enjoy reading this book.

So the moral of this story wasn't awful. It's actually what redeemed it for me. I'm giving this book a 3 SOLELY because I liked how it ended, and the writing sounded great when I read a few parts out loud to myself.

Prepare to dislike the main character. You just will. I think maybe that's the intent, so good job!

The entire story felt very choppy to me. Maybe that's the authors writing style. Maybe it just isn't for me. It's told in one characters POV. Quick bits just thrown in there. Conversations with friends through text. Moments when they are having sex. That's about it. I don't think there was a moment that was longer than a page. The way it was written just didn't work for me. I never picked up on a flow to the story at all. I just felt like I was reading really bad texts from last night. That didn't make you laugh or think, "yeah me too."

The most interesting character in the story gets screwed over. I guess I actually like how things went for him though. Now if we could get a book about him, that has a bit better flow. I think it'd be a great addition to the genre.

New adult? Hmm.
Maybe MATURE new adult with an artsy style. If you're looking for a love story. I wouldn't look here. If you're looking for a sex story. Ding, ding, ding!

I picked this book up because it was Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket). Though All the Dirty Parts is nothing like A Series of Unfortunate Events, I did end up enjoying the book--Daniel Handler's writing is, as always, inventive and insightful. This was a great coming-of-age story that, though rather crude at times, felt true to one individual boy's experiences as he explored his sexuality and came to view his peers through a less narcissistic lens. It's told in a series of dialogue-centric vignettes that gives the narrative a sense of immediacy and ambiguity.

Explicit content, perhaps for readers college age and up. Do not expect romance or healthy relationships.
Recommended for those who enjoyed A Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan, Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger, or Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell.