{ARC Review} Being Henry David by Cal Armistead - Thoughts

Title: Being Henry David
Author: Cal Armistead (website) (Twitter)
Pages: 312 pages
Genre: YA contemporary
Source: e-galley from publisher (thanks!)
Rating: a-ma-zing!

A quick summary of the story is that "Hank" wakes up in the New York City subway and can't remember anything. He has $10 and Henry David Thoreau's book Walden's Pond on him. What follows is how he tries to find himself - who he is and what caused him to lose his memories.

Being Henry David was on my Top Ten one of debut authors' books for 2013 that I most wanted to read. A male POV? Amnesia? Henry David Thoreau? I'm there! I had high, high, high expectations for this novel and there has been a bunch of buzz surrounding it. 

It not only lived up to my expectations, it surpassed them. I seem to be fangirling quite frequently lately but I just simply loved this book. I loved that the narrator was a male. With so many books having a female POV, I thought Hank's voice was refreshing.

I loved the amnesia angle. It made for a bit of a mystery and through the clues Hank searches for, we learn about him and who he is.

Probably my favorite part of the book was the way that Henry David Thoreau is woven into the story. Heavy with quotes from Walden, and "sightings" of the man himself, Being Henry David had that element of a story within a story that I enjoy so much.

Hank meets a great cast of characters and these secondary characters are as well rounded and thought out as he is.  I don't want to post any spoilers so I will just say that I found the ending to be not only believable but also wonderfully satisfying. And, not only did she write an amazing, though provoking debut, but Cal is a sweetheart herself. 

Make sure to add Being Henry David to your Goodreads TBR list if you enjoy young adult contemporaries with well developed and interesting characters with a story-line that is both believable and interesting and that ends in a wonderful conclusion.

If you've read this one, tell me what you thought. Did you love it as much as I did?