Review of Randy the Irresistible

[Esther Nekesa]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Randy the Irresistible" by S M Goodier.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Randy the Irresistible is an interesting book that revolves around adulting. For everyone, adulting is as scary as it is exciting. Randy Love is no exception. He drops out of campus and hopes to make a better life for himself on the streets. Being a beggar who doesn't choose, he is a hustler who would do almost anything for money. He is witty and strong-willed, which favors his decision-making. Set in London, Randy is the last born of a closely-knit family. He gets all the support, despite his poor decisions, from his father. His siblings are not left behind. They play role models if not rescuing him from financial woes from time to time. With a little touch of romance on the side, this is a book every young adult should read. What awaits Randy on the streets is what he least expected. Does he finally know how to plan his finances? Does he eventually become successful? How does he manage his friendships with the increase in responsibilities? Does becoming an adult mean no more fun or a little more pinch of it?

I enjoyed reading this book. The writer, S M Goodier, has done more than just narrate a story. He gives life lessons to youth who are newly tossed into murky adulthood. He specifically uses Randy's poor financial judgment to pass down a thing or two about pennies. Randy's obsession with saving a few coins always leads him to sink into debt. I found this book universally relatable to any young adult. The references used and the themes featured are basically what most people go through while crossing over to adulthood. The enthusiasm of Randy toward life is charming. He is strong-willed in his decision-making and takes a little longer to accept defeat. The other characters have been explicitly profiled which made them more familiar. The father-son relationship between Randy and John played a big role in his journey. It is therefore advisable to have an adult to look up to. My favorite character was Michael Goddard and his queer relationship with his friend's son, Randy. He pokes Randy all the time intending to teach him a lesson or two. The book is very humorous. At one point, John punishes his dog for soiling the neighbor's garden by telling him to sit down and think about his mistakes. S M Goodier employed the use of good diction throughout the book alongside several figures of speech.

There were only a few drawbacks to the book. There was a slight confusion in the story. With his friends, the writer says Randy never had hangovers. But when he moves to London, Randy battles hangovers from time to time. He forgets to mention if this was a first for him and assumes it's the norm. Which is contradictory. I appreciated the book having slang translations. I, however, did not know this until I was done reading. I felt like this feature would have been more appropriate for a physical book rather than an ebook. The book also had many characters who interacted with Randy at various points in life. I struggled to keep up with the new names and remember the old ones that were revisited later.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. This is because I enjoyed the book so much. And the few negative aspects are almost weightless in comparison to the numerous positive aspects. The journey with Randy was an enlightening yet frightening one.

I would recommend this book to any young person feeling betrayed by the reality of adulting. It would also come in handy for any parent seeking guidance on how to handle certain situations with their post-puberty children.

******
Randy the Irresistible
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon