A humorous take on family conflict when cousins rub each other the wrong way prompting the ultimate prank war. The style is engaging and an easy read. Teens will find the voices authentic and adults will be transported back to their youth. Not a heavy read, but a really good time.

Jeff Strand books are always amazing choices to book talk when I go to the high schools to promote the library's resources, or to talk about our Summer Reading program. They are always great to read little snippets from, and offer a perfect vessel to give a 2 minute teaser to a roomful of teens. They are reliably funny, relatable, and great for boys or girls. I can't say that this one is my favorite, but it was good fun and a great book talk.

Unfortunately, this landed on my DNF list. I struggled with the writing style and could not for the life of me get into the book. Sorry!

I found this book on Netgalley and thought it sounded fun and humorous so I grabbed, added, and read. I actually read this on audio after it was released and I am glad that I did. The audio was quite fun. I think the narrator did a great job capturing it all. The characters were okay. The story was interesting. I had fun reading this book. It wasn’t a wow factor for me but it was a good light read that was good between the deep and heavy books I had read recently.


Rod has a good life. He has his friends, his band, his girlfriend. He was pretty happy. He lives alone with his mom and although they don't have much, they have what they need. Yup life is good, until the day his cousin, Blake, arrives to stay with them for 3 months. Rod remembers Blake being a brat when they were younger. He has high hopes that maybe Blake has changed. Nope, Blake has not changed and now Rod believes that Blake is out to ruin his life. Things happen and Rod's life begins to spin out of control.




This isn’t a book with some deep emotional connection or a story where wisdom comes in the end. It’s a story about how teenagers can let their mind get away from them and also a story about how teenagers can just be mean and really kind of dumb. There are a lot of selfish and dumb characters in this book, but it worked well for the story. The main character, Rod, well I am not sure what to say about him. I didn’t love him but I didn’t hate him. He was a little self-absorbed, but he wasn’t crazy and he wasn’t a bad guy. He liked his life and he was happy. That was until his cousin, Blake, came into his life. I did feel bad for him most of the book, but I also wondered how much he was believing and what was actually true.

I don’t want to give too much away because part of the fun of this book was wondering if Rod was crazy or if Blake was crazy. The thing is, Rod never sees Blake do any of the things that are getting out of hand in his life. Rod believes that Blake is sabotaging his life, his school, his friends, his girlfriend, the band… but not much proof. There are a few things he has seen as a fact, like the way Blake acts when it’s just them and how Blake acts around others. He also knows that there are things happening and things people are saying that is not the truth. But proof that Blake did it all, that is what he lacks. Rod’s life does spiral out of control, along with his mind. I felt so bad for him but I also felt at times he was responding in the wrong way. He could maybe turn it all around if he tries a different approach.

The book wasn’t as funny as I had hoped it would be but after a few reviews, I was worried it would be funny at all. It was. It had a few laughs out loud moments and more than a few giggle moments. So I am happy with the level of funny. I found the story interesting. It was well written and progressed nicely. The story was a little unrealistic, it didn’t ever feel that way. I didn’t mind that it wasn’t real life stuff. It was a nice break from the real stuff for sure. The ending was the best part, it was also the funniest for me. I think it ended so perfectly







If you are looking for an over the top but funny and light read, you may enjoy this one. I did.

Unfortunately, this one wasn't really my cup of tea. I struggled to get into the writing style and humor.

I am looking at this book as it was. A fun no brainer comedy read. I did find myself smiling often at the craziness of his cousin.
Is this a life changing book? No. Was it an impactful book, no. Was it a easy, get your mind off the heavy shit kind of book? God yes!
I give it 5 stars since I went in knowing it was a “hit” book but reminded me of all those quick fun reads I did when I was a teenager.

I DNF this one. I couldn't get into it at all. I just didn't care about what was going to happen next. I liked his previous book so I had high hopes for this one.

Rod's life is pretty OK - he's got a girlfriend, is in a punk rock band that plays at a local teen night every Monday, and he and his mom manage to get by just fine. Yet when his cousin Blake shows up from California for an extended stay, the status quo becomes anything but. How bad can it be to share a room with his cousin for a couple of months? Just follow Rod's story and you'll find out!!

Rod is the perfect narrator for this clever and ridiculous tale. Lighthearted and witty - it will have readers chuckling, and maybe even taking sides - team Rod? or team Blake?

How You Ruined My Life by Jeff Strand successfully made me dislike the villain of the story, cousin Blake.

The entire plot is based around a trouble-filled relationship between Rodney, the main character, and his cousin Blake who comes to visit for three months while his rich parents are off on a cruise. Blake notoriously manages to completely ruin Rodney’s life in less than three months. Honestly, I got so captured up in the chaos of it all that I lost track of the timeline. While I flew through the book powered merely by my dislike of Blake, I found some of the events unrealistic in their scale and impact. The ending of the book, and much of the conflict’s resolution, felt too underwhelming in comparison to the rest of the story as well.

I grew attached to the characters quickly, however, and I discovered myself falling on one character’s side versus the other. (The entire book is a giant fight, so how could I not choose a side?) I usually ended up on Rod’s side due to just how crazy Blake became, but then I found myself asking if I was going crazy alongside Rod. This mainly happened because the story is told in second person POV, which I had only seen before in one other book series. I am still unsure if I enjoy this way of storytelling or not.

Overall, I would recommend How You Ruined My Life for a comedic read or for pre-teen or early teen readers.

'How You Ruined My Life' is a really funny YA novel about two cousins: Rod and Blake. Rod lives with his mum, and even tough they are poor Rod is happy. He has his girlfriend Audrey and his band Fanged Grapefruit. Well, he is happy until his rich cousin Blake comes to live with him for a few months and destroys his life completely. I enjoyed all incredibly amusing dialogues and descriptions. You will be surprised how creative and brilliant are Blake's destructive ideas!

This definetly was intresting, different and funny. However there were quiet a lot of things that just didn't click with me.

This is me being disappointed. Because this book had potential, a lot of it, but it didn't deliver. On the contrary, where it could have been awesome, it was boring and sometimes went too far. When I started it, there were a few points I liked. But then it got downhill quickly and I was left with disappointment.

L I K E S:

~ In the first few chapters, I actually enjoyed the writing. Rod's voice was amusing and I was actually kind of liking it. There was humor there too, and I like humor in books.

~ I also enjoyed the dynamics between Rod and his mom. They were very supportive of one another and I loved how close they were. I applaud positive parent-child relationships in YA.

D I S L I K E S:

~ Things went downhill the moment Blake came into the story. I didn't like him. Not one bit. He was spoiled, mean, petty and just a brat. And he stayed like that throughout the novel and if you ask me there wasn't really any development for him. Or Rod for that matter.

~ I didn't like the pranks Blake pulled. They often went way too far and I can't believe people would fall for this kind of stuff that easily. They weren't pranks anymore most of the time. It was just straight up bullying. Blake was a bully. And if there's one thing I don't like, it's a bully.

~ The dynamics between the characters changed so hard the moment Blake came into the picture. Everyone fell for Blake's act so easily that it's just not believable. SOME people would have caught on, right? Why didn't they believe the person they've known the longest? I just don't get it. At all.

~ The way things wrapped up was... sudden. And too much "wrapped-up-in-a-neat-little-bow" for my liking. But that's all I can say about it without spoiling it.

~ This wasn't a funny book. It was a book with a few funny lines in it, that's all. And it was way too meta. I like meta humor when it's done right, like in the movie Deadpool. But I didn't like it in this book where it hit me over the head with it.

O V E R A L L ...

This was a disappointing read. There was a lot of potential for it, but ultimately it didn't work for me personally. I wasn't fond of the writing, the "humor" or the characters and their lack of development. So this would be a no for me. But who knows, it might be for you so give it a try if you want to.

Rod’s teenage life isn’t perfect, but things could be worse. He lives with his single mom in a modest home. They don’t have a lot of extras, but they’re getting by. He has a punk rock band called “Fanged Grapefruit” and a beautiful girlfriend. Life is pretty good. That is, until Blake moves in. Blake is Rod’s cousin, and from the moment his privileged mountain of luggage arrives—the day before he does himself—Blake manages to make Rod’s life a living hell. But is he a harmless idiot? Or does this demon-spawn of a cousin know exactly what he’s doing?

How You Ruined My Life is a fun read that made me laugh out loud more than once. Things are so bad that even Rod finds himself doubting anyone could be as diabolical as Blake seems. Is he really moving Rod’s posters a centimeter at a time whenever he isn’t looking? And he couldn’t possibly be snoring like a jackhammer all night on purpose. Could he? Rod’s train of thought is an amusing stream of ridiculousness that can sometimes be over the top, and he’s such an easy a target for Blake’s shenanigans that he’s almost asking for it. But that naive, good-guy attitude is a big part of his charm, and I’m a sucker for a nice guy.

The net result is a quick, quirky romp that’s worth the read.

Rod is pretty happy with how his life is going. He's in an awesome band with his friends, he has a great girlfriend, and he actually gets along with his mom. They don't have much money, but they make do. All this changes when Rod's rich cousin Blake comes to live with them. How can Rod convince everyone that Blake is ruining his life without appearing paranoid?

I think this book will appeal more to middle school students, but it could be a good sell for reluctant readers looking for something humorous. Not much depth, but a funny read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcefire Books for an advance eARC copy of this title for review. All opinions are my own.

I originally picked up this title because we have other Jeff Strand books in our collection and a fellow reading teacher in my building recommends him all the time. I have not read any of his other books, but I will definitely be picking them up now. This was a fantastic humor story that was completely appropriate for middle school readers (no language, sexuality, or other graphic content) while still being funny enough for grades 7-10. I already ordered a copy for our collection and I'm thinking I might have to have more than one.

Rod is perfectly happy with his life-he has a girlfriend he really likes, his band isn't winning any awards but they have fun and play a regular gig, and his life at home with his mom is pretty easy-going. But then she announces that his cousin Blake will be staying with them for three months while his parents go on a world cruise. Rod tries to convince himself that it won't be that bad, but he rapidly discovers that he couldn't be more wrong. Because Blake is trying to ruin his life. Only he does it in ways that aren't immediately obvious. So Rod always ends up looking like the bad guy.

This is a funny, quick read that is a must-purchase for large collections that serve reluctant readers. The tone is witty while still being accessible. Highly recommend.

Preview read courtesy of http://netgalley.com
"How You Ruined My Life"
By Jeff Strand @Jeff Strand
Publication date: April 3, 2018

Thanks to netgalley.com for providing this advanced readers copy.

Humor without curse words! A high school punk rock band without curse words! A book that would work in either middle school or high school without curse words!

"How You Ruined My Life" is a humorous story based on the premise of opposite finances. Two high school cousins who haven't seen each other in 10 years have to live together for three months. Rich cousin from California has to live with poor cousin in Florida. The author does a good job of creating the main characters' personalities including having the reader flip-flop back-n-forth over which cousin is the crazier one.

Written as if the Florida cousin is narrating the story to the reader, the first-person storytelling effectively conveys the desperate need for the cousin to have the reader on his side, while at the same time admitting how awkward his convincing is. Struggling readers may need some reminding that the style of writing is at times conversational, at times an internal dialogue, and at times a brief, stray off topic - just as anyone relaying a longer story might stray off topic.

The book comes across as a battle of wits and wills, pranks and pratfalls, while at the end there's a bit of a Bildungsroman. This sets up the possibilities of a conversation with readers if they would forgive and forget or hold a grudge, if they would go one with their intended paths or forge a new plan for their futures.

Though humorous books are sometimes a hard sell, I'd purchase this for my HS library (and recommend it to our MS library) because it's an accessible, light-hearted read.

E ARC from Edelweiss Plus



Rodney's father left, so he and his mother struggle to get by. When his well-to-do aunt and uncle decide to take a three months' long cruise, his cousin Blake is sent to go to high school with him. It's bad enough that Rod has to share his tiny room with his cousin, but when Blake finally arrives, it is with a ton of stuff and an attitude that Rod should be his servant. Rod, who is very busy with his band, Fanged Grapefruit as well as his girlfriend, Audrey, isn't pleased. As Blake does more an more sneaky things to Rod, he also tries to ingratiate himself with all of Rod's friends, to the point where Blake throws animals guts in his own face so he can blame it on Rod! On the other hand, he gets some awesome gigs for the band, but he also turns Audrey against Rod. His head spinning, Rod isn't sure what his cousin's evil plan is, only that it is evil, and he must find some way to stop him, even if it is by sort-of kidnapping him and attempting to drive him across the country! Will the cousins ever be able to make peace?

Strengths: This was VERY funny. I was reading it on the plane coming back from ALA Midwinter, and laughed so much that I ended up reading a lot of it to my travel companion! This wins absolute first place for lists of rock band names. The plot was amusing, moved quickly, and was just a lot of fun. I especially appreciated that the main character was a high school junior, but there wasn't anything inappropriate. It's so hard to find books like this for my more mature readers. Very nice balance.

Weaknesses: Younger readers might be a little confused by what Blake is doing.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing a copy, and a bit miffed that it's in paperback!

I have some mixed reactions about this book. First of all, I was surprised at how fast I flew through it. And it was funny. I found myself laughing out loud at times. But I also found it frustrating. The whole idea of the ‘reliable narrator’ gets called into question. Rod is so dramatic. SO dramatic. So dramatic in fact that you spend a lot of the book wondering if Blake is as terrible as he says, or if Rod is simply overreacting. Or crazy. Or both.

But in all seriousness, and Rod’s angst aside, I think this book is just so relatable. I think we have all known a Blake at one point in our lives – the one who sucks up to and charms every adult who can’t see what a kiss-ass they really are. And then when you get them alone they grow horns and shoot fire from their eyes. So maybe Rod isn’t so crazy after all.

You know, I really had a mental struggle over what I should rate this one. Although the story was good, I just didn't like the delivery. All the parenthetical insertions kinda drove me crazy. As did all the random tangents and thoughts the narrator added in. I get that it was meant to feel like an in the moment account, but I just couldn't connect with it.

So, I'm chalking this one to being something that wrong with me rather than the book itself. It's all about personal preference and not necessarily content. You should read this one and see for yourself what you think.