Cover Image: The Tribulations of August Barton

The Tribulations of August Barton

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Thank you to author Jennifer LeBlanc for providing me with a copy of your novella, The Tribulations of August Barton, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- It's difficult being a college freshman and it's even more difficult if you're August Barton. August is an anxious young man and his anxiety issues spike when things in his life spiral out of control. His parents are getting a divorce, he is completely uncool in the eyes of his dorm roommate, and his wild-child grandmother is causing problems in her nursing home. Can August handle all of these issues and learn to enjoy his first year at college?

LIKE- This story is nuts. It's really outlandish and unexpected in the best possible way. August's grandmother, Gertie is the polar opposite to August's personality. Where he is shy and nervous, she embraces life and lives loud. She is not content to spend her remaining days in a nursing home, so she runs away, implicating August in her wild adventures. She brings along an old friend and fellow former prostitute, Tunes, and they work together to have a last hurrah, while making sure that August learns to live a little. They even join August at a college party, proving that age is no barrier to a good time or popularity. 

The Tribulations of August Barton has a wonderful zest for life and a theme of seizing the day. 

DISLIKE- Too short, way too short. The story felt crammed in, especially for the level of wackiness. I needed more time to understand and embrace the characters. The breakneck pace was too much for a novella and underserved the story. 

RECOMMEND- Maybe. I loved the characters and the spirit of The Tribulations of August Barton, but I felt I was reading a solid draft, rather than a polished story.

Was this review helpful?

August Barton has anxiety. Bad! It's his freshman year in college, his parents are divorcing, his roommate makes fun of his super hero figures and his grandma is a retired prostitute who is bored in the nursing home where she currently lives.

I really liked this short read, a lot. I smiled, I laughed, I laughed out loud and I cried at the end. I especially liked the scene the writer created for the funeral.

Thanks the author and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Was this review helpful?

This was super short and I liked his Grandma way more than the main character. He was just really flat

Was this review helpful?

Rating: 4.0/5.0

I needed a short light story to add to my current reads and I found this book available on NetGalley. I decided to read it and see how intriguing it can get.

This was a funny light-hearted story of August Barton, a teen who is suffering from anxiety and panic attacks. The story follows this teenager who is heading to college and experiencing several things for the first time. This novella is all about how relationships work between different people. You have Augie's relationship with his newly made friend in the college Isaac, then his relationship with his mother Diane and Grandma Gertie and his new love interest Rose.

Although this is just a novella but I find the characters very interesting and well written. I love the ex-prostitute grandmother's character the most. She was funny and very witty and somehow sounded to me like the character Blanche Deveraux from the sitcom The Golden Girls, mince the prostitution thing of course. I would have loved if the story revolved around her more. I think her relationship with her grandson was really beautiful, but I think the author did not give much attention to the relationship between her and her daughter Diane. We don't know what went wrong other than Diane not approving the life style of her mom. Perhaps in the second book of the series we get to know more?

This is definitely the book of choice if you are looking to add to your monthly or weekly TBR a quick yet entertaining and funny story with interesting characters. The cover might not be very appealing but it reflects a scene from the story. The book ends on a sort of a funny cliffhanger too!

Was this review helpful?

If you enjoy quirky characters and are a fan of John Green, chances are you will enjoy this book. Short, snappy and not too deep.

Was this review helpful?

Funny book about a college man and his wonderful grandmother Gertie. This is a fun, laugh out loud book. Poor August, the title is the correct one for this book. Everyone should have a Grandma Gertie!!!! Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a great book!!! It may be because I have an addiction to ill MC (they are just more interesting), as is the case of Auggie's grandma. She is the best!
Auggie is a dork (let's face it), but she makes him come out of his shell. And she does it in such a hilarious way!

It was a very short, crazy, (maybe even sweet?) but definitely funny book. I recommend it for anyone looking for a comedy.

Was this review helpful?