Well now, wasn't that a surprise! Narcissim for Beginners is brilliantly written and full of heart and wit, so much so I couldn't help but devour this story. Sonny is a great character who essentially goes on a journey that brings together some truths about his life. I loved going on what feels like a real-time discovery and uncovering information with him. It's an emotional rollercoaster that you won't be sorry you got on.

Amazing writing, complex characters and a lot of heart. What more do you need?

<i>Narcissism for Beginners</i> is the story of a breezy young man who's been through a lot and is about to go through a lot more emotional turmoil. It addresses difficult subjects such as different kinds of dependency - emotional and substance, to name the most frequent, and Sonny's sarcastic tone helps cope with that.&nbsp;

I enjoyed this book. The writing is at times too rambling for my taste but at the same time it's part of its charm. The breaks of pace when Sonny would abruptly change what he was narrated kept me interested.

The book is written in second person singular, as a letter addressed to Sonny's mother, and despite the somber tone the ending was redeeming enough.

I recommend it, but you probably need to have a stomach to deal with heavy stuff.

<i>Disclaimer: I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.</i>

Meet Sonny Anderson as he tips headlong into adulthood. Sonny doesn’t remember his mother’s face; he was kidnapped at age five by his father, Guru Bim, and taken to live in a commune in Brazil. Since the age of ten, Sonny has lived in Redondo Beach, California, with his guardian Thomas Hardiker. Brits think he’s an American, Americans think he’s a Brit.

I am really enjoying the New Adult genre, and this book is an excellent addition to it. Sonny, 21, musters the courage to travel alone to the UK in an attempt to leave a troubled past behind. He attempts to reunite with his mother and finally learn the truth about his childhood.
The path is long and winding, but he has five mysterious letters from his guardian to help guide him,
Sonny sets out to learn the truth. But is it a truth he wants to hear?
Narcissism for Beginners is a fresh, witty and humane take on the struggle to make sense of growing up.

Really fabulous book, not at all what I was expecting. Very early on it grabbed me and had me hooked. We meet the main character Sonny as he turns 21 and part of his birthday present is a flight to the UK to begin to trace his past. He knows very little about his parents and how he came to live with his guardian, Thomas in California. As he meets characters from his past in a variety of locations around the UK, he slowly learns more about his father, a self appointed cult leader. I loved the way this story is told from Sonnys perspective. He's entering adulthood, ahead of his years due to a messed up drug taking past and yet he's still a loveable needy child. His obsession with Shaun of the Dead was great fun and added to his observations of the differences between the UK and America. As we venture out with Sonny on his journey, more and more of his past is revealed and an understanding dawns of how he came to live in California and why Thomas has protected him from the truth for so long. A great read, highly recommended.