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!

This is billed as a Lemony Snicket author?. 

This is an interesting book that brought many questions to my mind: The biggest question for me is are today's teens that much more aware of their own sexuality and experiences? Is this a book one we could recommend to a mature teen in good conscience? And what will younger teens think (and their parents should they pick this book up) if they read it because they are Lemony Snicket fans? I think there is a lot of confusion as to WHICH audience this author is targeting. 

This is most definitely a book with explicit adult content, even if the main character is a teen. I found the novel to be almost too graphic for me to plow through. I have teenage daughters, and the whole time I was reading this novel, all I could think was "would I let my girls read this?" For me, the answer was no. With that answer being a no, it is hard for me to push or promote this book in either market (adult or mature teen.) 

Saying all of that, I do not think that the authors writing was bad. I think a lot of the graphic situations in the book (which was most of the book) was written with the intent of shock value, and to me, that does not equal necessarily a totally enjoyable reading experience.

 Thank you so much to Net Galley, the publisher and Daniel Handler for the ARC and opportunity to provide feedback.

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.