Book Review: Submarine by Joe Dunthorne

Title: Submarine
Author: Joe Dunthorne
Published: 2011 (Penguin)
Pages: 290

At once a self-styled social scientist, a spy in the baffling adult world, and a budding, hormone-driven emotional explorer, Oliver Tate is stealthily nosing his way forward through the murky and uniquely perilous waters of adolescence. His objectives? Uncovering the secrets behind his parents' teetering marriage, unraveling the mystery that is his alluring and equally quirky classmate Jordana Bevan, and understanding where he fits in among the mystifying beings in his orbit. Struggling to buoy his parents' wedded bliss, deep-six his own virginity, and sound the depths of heartache, happiness, and the business of being human, what's a lad to do? Poised precariously on the cusp of innocence and experience, Oliver Tate aims to damn the torpedoes and take the plunge. [via goodreads]

My Thoughts:
I'm just going to be honest and lay it all out. I'd never heard of Joe Dunthorne before (I have seen the movie poster before if that counts?). But anyway, Joe came to my college for a talk so I thought, it's time I pick up his book!

The novel is split into three parts. Each part focusing more on a different topic, part 1: Oliver Tate, part 2: his dad, part 3: his mum. I was quite surprised by this read. I didn't really see how the balance of humour on a topic that the book carries could work. But it did. 

Favourite part of the book? I really loved the "word of the day" sections that appear every time Oliver wrote into his diary. 

"Word of the Day: lemon - informally used to mean unsatisfactory, defective"

I'm not sure if the book really "filled" me though. There's humour, yeah, but the topics were put into a really odd way, Oliver's trail of thinking was distant whilst I read and there was nothing for me to connect with. He's a bit of a weird character, sticks out quite a bit. He's got his own mind set.

It's an alright read. Maybe read it for the layout. But overall I wouldn't be jumping at it.