Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

By: Matthew Quick

Narrated by: Noah Galvin

Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Finalist, Teens, 2014

In addition to the P-38, there are four gifts, one for each of my friends. I want to say good-bye to them properly. I want to give them each something to remember me by. To let them know I really cared about them and I'm sorry I couldn't be more than I was - that I couldn't stick around - and that what's going to happen today isn't their fault.

Today is Leonard Peacock's birthday. It is also the day he hides a gun in his backpack. Because today is the day he will kill his former best friend, and then himself, with his grandfather's P-38 pistol.

But first he must say good-bye to the four people who matter most to him: his Humphrey Bogart-obsessed next-door neighbor, Walt; his classmate Baback, a violin virtuoso; Lauren, the Christian homeschooler he has a crush on; and Herr Silverman, who teaches the high school's class on the Holocaust. Speaking to each in turn, Leonard slowly reveals his secrets as the hours tick by and the moment of truth approaches.

In this riveting audiobook, acclaimed author Matthew Quick unflinchingly examines the impossible choices that must be made - and the light in us all that never goes out.

©2013 Matthew Quick (P)2013 Hachette Audio

Powerful and beautifully written story

Often being the odd one out, I connected with Leonard in way I didn't expect. I came to love him as if he were my own.

Insightful

I am blown away by this book. Matthew Quick strikes to the heart of how horribly lonely being a teenager can be, especially one on the outskirts of high school social norms. This book would make a great high school lit read, especially in today's world. As controversial as it may seem for young adults, it can be a great tool for those who feel, or even are, isolated from their peers. It's ok to be angry and hurt, but always know high school is "just a blip."

Very engaging

I liked the book, it was a good reprieve from the dull non-fiction I am forced to listen to just because I wasted a whole credit. I am in my mid 30's, but I enjoy young adult fiction, maybe the teenager inside me is still lurking about.

This Story Enriched Me

I just relistened after I completely forgot this book existed. It’s an important story and very human. Not super entertaining but felt very real.

Riveting

What did you love best about Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock?

This was a story I was almost hesitant to read/listen to based on the subject matter. However, it wasn't what I expected. It was very well written, well narrated and kept me entertained and engrossed in the story all the way through. I really enjoyed it and had difficulty putting it down.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock?

So many, it is hard to choose.

What about Noah Galvin’s performance did you like?

He did a phenomenal job with this story. His raw emotion was conveyed so clearly, that it was like you were experiencing everything with him.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I had a hard time putting this one down. Very engaging book!

This book saved me.

If you want to kill yourself or self-harm, then I strongly suggest you read this book. It really helped me with to fight my depression and self-worth problems. There are some books that are just stories, not intended for anything but hearing. But this book wasn't just a book. Leonard's story really spoke to me in a way that I hadn't expected it to or experienced before. We see the world very similarly, and reading his story gave me hope. It really did. Even if you don't feel sad or angry all the time, this book can still help you learn/ understand the minds of others. Also. If you are different than this book might really resonate with you. This book taught me that it doesn't matter who you are or what you do, there is always something else to the story. And maybe some people are truly crazy. Insanity does exist. But so does confusion, anger, and messed up perception. Sometimes, being misunderstood can be the greatest destroyer. Misunderstanding and depression/self-hatred probably kill way more people than evil and contempt do. I want to leave you with a quote that really stuck with me, especially when I was feeling really down:

"You're different. And I'm different too. Different is good. But different is hard. Believe me, I know."

-Mathew Quick (Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock)

Terrific story!

Narrator Noah galvin was awesome!!! Really brought all the characters to life! Wonderful, heartfelt, and at times very funny!

Don't do it, Leonard!" I shouted.

I cried. And I actually found myself shouting out loud. That's how compelling this book is. All of the other reviewers have eloquently reported what an astounding book this is and the 5 star ratings are absolutely deserved. (If only we could give 6.) This author and the narrator are new revelations to me. What a gift. Do not pass up this book.

Difficult ... Beautiful ... Raw

STORY (teenage fiction) - Leonard Peacock plans to shoot himself today, after he says goodbye to four people who are very important to him. You will be "in the head" of this troubled teen as he goes to school that last day, his 18th birthday, with a gun in his backpack. You will learn what's important to him and what isn't, who he loves and who he hates, and ultimately why he's planning to take his own life. Throughout the day Leonard (who's very intelligent) talks about Hamlet, Humphrey Bogart, the Holocaust, atheism, his first kiss, same-sex relations and why he wants to shoot his ex-best friend before turning the gun on himself.

This book was beautifully written. You will feel sorry for Leonard, but at the same time you will root for him to see and embrace his own strengths. The day you spend inside Leonard's head is not overdramatized or predictable. To the contrary, it feels very real. (The author gives credit to multiple mental health professionals who reviewed the book for authenticity). In the end the message is clear: Never lose sight of the light. Things will get better!

PERFORMANCE - I don't know how old this narrator was, but he did a great job of performing the complex feelings and emotions of 18-year-old Leonard Peacock. Other characters were performed equally as well.

OVERALL - I'd recommend this book to all males/females high school age and older. Teachers, parents, students, kids who are picked on or depressed, class bullies -- there's something for everyone to learn here. Some sexual situations are described, and there is some cursing.

Begin with the End in Mind

What did you love best about Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock?

One of the authors that has stuck with me is the late Stephen Covey, hence the headline of my review. Why quote Covey for the headline of this review? Because the quote points to the healing process available to the young man--yes man--who is the title character. He doesn't know it, but he has grown up in spite of his parents and himself. Bravo! We were pulling for you.

What did you like best about this story?

My heart pounded through most of the book and not because I was walking around the block fifteen times to get my exercise in for the day. The author captured the vacated, self-centered suburban emotional landscape of many teenager's lives--too old to be latch-key kids but too emotionally unstable to root themselves into a healthy rhythm of self-discovery and respect.

Which scene was your favorite?

There's one scene where there's an intersection between the young and vulnerable and the old and cynical. Which wins out? I'll only say that they both had the adage "begin with the end in mind." I was surprised by both the teenager's and the infirmed old man's response to what was a life-threatening situation.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Tagline for a movie of this book: Why it was foolishly ignorant for the city of Philadelphia--and the state of California and so many other cities and town--to lay off school counselors as if we don't need them for kids who are emotionally abandoned.