Antsy Does Time: Antsy Bonano, Book 2
Written by Neal Shüsterman
Narrated by Neal Shüsterman
4/5
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Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
It was a dumb idea, but one of those dumb ideas that accidentally turns out to be brilliant-which, I've come to realize, is much worse than being dumb. My name's Antsy Bonano-but you probably already know that-and unless you got, like, memory issues, you'll remember the kid named the Schwa, who I told you about last time. Well, now there's this other kid, and his story is a whole lot stranger. It all started when Gunnar Ümlaut and I were watching three airborne bozos struggle with a runaway parade balloon. That's when Gunnar tells me he's only got six months to live. Maybe it was because he said he was living on borrowed time, or maybe it was just because I wanted to do something meaningful for him, but I gave him a month of my life . . .
. . . And that's when things began to get seriously weird.
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Reviews for Antsy Does Time
89 ratings15 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sequel to the Schwa. Interesting plot that will keep readers involved. Good characters.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Narrated by the author. When Antsy learns that classmate Gunnar has been diagnosed with a rare disease and only has months to live, Antsy donates a month of his own life to Gunnar. Soon everyone at school wants to donate months and a movement is born. But is Gunnar really dying or is this his way of dealing with a family that's falling apart? Neal Schusterman does a credible job reading his own work, especially voicing the incredulous Antsy.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Oh I love Antsy and the situations he gets into and the friends he makes. I love how Shusterman gets everything but the kitchen sink in these books, but makes them seem natural and real. Slapstick, pathos, wit, poignancy, romance, adventure.... The only problem was that I inhaled the book, and the third isn't out yet. Despite my ginormous to-read lists, I might have to reread these.
I don't possess the self-preservation instinct. I've got the this-frying-pan-isn't-hot-enough-let's-try-the-fire instinct."
"I wouldn't invalidate his pain [by comparing it mine]. Every problem is massive until something more massive comes along."
"In this world, there is a fine line between enlightenment and brain damage, and I have to say that Skaterdud grinds that line perfectly balanced."" - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Usually, I don't enjoy the second book in a series more than I like the first one. This is an exception. Antsy is back and has a whole new adventure with some new characters that are equally as quirky as the Schwa was. I felt this story was a little more possible than the first one. I liked the characters more this go around. I even liked Antsy more this time. This book is again, a good choice for younger teens, especially boys. I listened on audio and this version is recorded by the author.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Thoroughly enjoyable, if not quite as fantastic as the first one.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5For Readers:Well, the first thing you should know is that this is the sequel to Shusterman's The Schwa was Here. I'm not sure this book is as good--it's not as funny or poignant--but it's still worth reading to find out more about Antsy Bonano. These books are not actually about Antsy's weird friends (the Schwa, or in this case, Gunnar Umlaut, a kid obsessed with his own mortality). Instead they are about watching Antsy grow as a young man. What I like about these books is Antsy's basic humanity. He's definitely someone you would want on your side. If you liked The Schwa was Here, this is worth reading. If you didn't like it, skip this one, because it's more of the same.I Liked the Schwa was Here, so I enjoyed this book. The humor is darker, and it grapples with that biggest of human topics-death. Gunnar is a kid in Antsy's 9th grade class who announces one day that he only has sixth months to live. As a joke, Antsy gives him one month of his own life. From there, suddenly it seems like all of Brooklyn wants to help Gunnar out. But Antsy stumbles on some dark secrets, and finds out that things are not always what they seem...For Educators and Librarians:This book is worth having if you have kids who liked The Schwa was Here, or you like having complete collections of an author's books. Language and content-wise, this book is perfectly appropriate for middle school. But the themes are pretty adult-some kids might be depressed by the aura of death that surrounds the story. Of course, other kids will eat it up, so there you go.I found this to be a slower read. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you have the money, this is a good book to have. If you are on a limited budget, though, there are better Shusterman books out there.Reading level: 11+Appropriateness: Language and content is appropriate; adult themes may turn kids off (death, mortality, etc.)Kids who would like this book: Kids who liked Antsy Bonano in The Schwa, maybe your goth kids (sorry, if that isn't PC)
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Antsy (Anthony) Bonano has got to be one of my favorite characters ever! This time, Antsy's new friend Gunnar Umlaut tells him that he has a progressive lung disease and has six months to live. Antsy impulsively decides to give him a certificate for one month of his life, and starts a tidal wave of gifts of time through his school. Antsy also starts dating Gunnar's sister, the gorgeous Swedish goddess Kjersten, finds out some difficult things about the Umlaut family, creates a replica of the Dust Bowl in the Umlaut's backyard (and decimates the surrounding neighborhood lawns due to an overdose of weed killer), and becomes famous for an ice water incident with a rude customer at Paris Capische, the French/Italian fusion restaurant his parents own with Lexie's grandfather, Old Man Crawley. Funny and thoughtful at the same time, this one shows off Neal Shusterman's creativity and style. Loved it! 7th grade and up.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5There are still some witty, smart-aleck moments in this Antsy tale, but it was missing the zip of The Schwa Was Here. I felt the ending went on too long after the climax and was presented in a way that wasn't that interesting. I almost put the book down when I thought the end was there but there were pages after it.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Since The Schwa Was Here, Antsy Bonano has matured. Not a lot, but enough that I noticed it. Instead of needing someone else to point things out to him, he’s become perceptive enough that he notices some things on his own that he would’ve overlooked had he not gone through his experiences with the Schwa. But he’s still very much the amusing Antsy Bonano I loved in that book.What’s great about this book is that, really, it’s not a sequel. Sure, it’s got the same characters, plus or minus certain people, but one doesn’t have to read The Schwa Was Here to understand what’s happening in this book. That’s not to say that reading that book prior to this one won’t give a broader picture into the inner workings of Antsy and his relationships with some of the people around him, but it’s not at all a necessity.Despite the fact that this book deals with the very serious and sometimes terrifying prospect of death, and not only that but the death of a teenager, Shusterman manages to keep the tone light. Sure, there are moments of sadness that pulled at my heart strings, but nothing was so grave that I felt depressed.One of my favorite parts of the book was watching Antsy in a developing romance. It wasn’t because I thought the romance was epic or anything, but because it showed a side to Antsy that I wasn’t expecting to see. When he realizes that his girlfriend is going through an extremely difficult time in her life, he decides he’ll “become the idea of me as much as possible for her.” I mean, he already won me over when he gave a month of his life to Gunnar, but this added a whole new level of respect for him. Am I saying that I think this is a healthy approach to a relationship? Not at all. But in the context of the story and where it leads, nothing could be more appropriate.This is a fun and thought-provoking read, and I wish there were more books out there on par with this one for the intended reading audience.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This sequel to The Schwa Was Here was even better than the first! Anthony "Antsy" Bonano returns with many of his friends from the previous story. Calvin Schwa is not in the story, and while there is some mention of him, this book does not build on the last one--it is its own story.A new character is Gunnar Ümlaut, who believes himself to be dying of a terminal illness called Pulmonary Monoxic Systemia. Antsy goes on a campaign to have people donate a month of their lives to Gunnar, and it seemed like a noble, symbolic gesture, until Antsy realizes that Gunnar's diagnosis wasn't from a very reliable source. Antsy has to learn why Gunnar kind of wishes he was dying, as well as why Gunnar's older sister Kjersten really wanted to go out with him.This story is hilarious and really deep at the same time, and I would recommend it to anyone. It doesn't matter which one you read first, but make sure you read Antsy Does Time and The Schwa Was Here (and if you don't already know what they mean, look up "schwa" and "ümlaut").
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Antsy always has a clever comeback to lighten any situation. I think that's why Kjersten liked him so much. Her family was definitely an example of dysfunction. Antsy's idea to help Gunnar began as a comeback to get his friend's mind off of dying, but soon everyone wanted to donate time to extend Gunnar's life. With all the problems at Kjersten and Gunnar's home, it's no wonder the will to live seemed to have walked off. Believing Dr. G's computer-generated diagnosis only added more drama to Gunnar's life, although the rest of the family didn't buy into it. I'm glad Ansty figured it out and was able to help Gunnar snap out of his depression and realize he was going to live. My favorite scene was the "baptizing." As a former waitress, I have imagined doing the very same thing to rude and annoying customers.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Loved Ansty Does Time! Great voice. Reminds me a bit of Jordan Sonnenblick in that in the middle of some very funny passages we learn of possible tragedy. Antsy's friend, Gunnar's, family is in a bad state and Gunnar decides to tell people that he is dying. Ansty starts a wave of compassion at school for him and students and staff donate certificates worth a month of their lives to Gunnar (symbolically of course!) Meanwhile, Gunnar and Antsy do a Grapes of Wrath project and creat a dustbowl in Gunnar's backyard. Somehow it all comes together.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5While this book is a sequel to The Schwa Was Here, it can be read independently, which is great because it most certainly should be read! How wonderful when an author can turn death, a gambling addiction, a heart attack, divorce, betrayal, daymares, water pouring, echolocation, and the meaning of prayer into a laugh-out-loud, hard-to-put-down rollicking adventure.While witnessing the tragic fall of a balloon wrangler at the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade new student Gunner Umlaut confesses to Anthony “Antsy” Bonano that he is suffering from “PMS,” Pulmonary Monoxic Systemia, only has six months to live. In an inexplicable burst of altruism Antsy decides to donate a month of his life to Gunnar. When this “time-shaving” notion catches on at school it begins to take on a life of its own. Wrapped up in the mayhem are hysterical observations of life, love, earning respect, a need to be recognized, and the meaning of death. Whether it’s morning announcements, adding a new perspective to Ingmar Bergman’s films, or pouring water on a senator’s head, Shusterman can bring tears of laughter to your eyes at the same time you realize that his hysteria might just have some insight. Donate a bit of your life to reading Antsy Does Time.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anthony (Antsy) Bonano narrates in a wise- cracking, side-splitting tone as we travel on a fast paced journey in his attempt to buy time for a newly found Swedish friend, Gunnar Ulmlaut, who claims to be dying from "PMS", Pulmonary Monoxic Systemia.While observing the New York City Macy's Day Thanksgiving parade, Antsy and his friends watch in dismay as the huge float of Roadkyll Racoon breaks loose carrying three men tethered to the ropes free floating toward the Empire State building in Manhattan.While anxiously awaiting the outcome, Gunnar tells the boys that he only has six months to live. The next day, altruistically, Antsy concocts a document stating he will give one month of his life to Gunnar.From this point on, the situation speeds out of control (faster than the doomed giant parade day float) when the entire school donates time to a person who may or may not be seriously ill.Neal Shusterman is highly creative and witty. I'll look for more of his books to read.I'll give this one 4.5 stars.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A sequel to "The Schwa was here," another Neal Shusterman title that I liked a lot. Antsy tries to help terminally ill fellow student Gunnar by "donating" some of his own lifetime. The charity takes on a life of its own as more and more people sign up. Insightful and quirky.