I had a hard time reading this book. While there were some hysterical moments most felt forced and unappealing. I also got tired of Beck’s escapades.

Drunk had been on my shelf for over two years and in all honesty I wish I’d left it there.

I wanted to like this book but the more I progressed the more I disliked it. Not for me unfortunately. Life is too short and a DNF

I'm not actually sure why I requested this book, the character trope of an 'alcoholic hipster' is so unappealing, and the book was just that. The story took too long to get into the actual plot, and I found it just tiresome and dull.

Ben Stearns' debut novel, Drunk, tells the story of Beck, an alcoholic with very little going on for himself, until he becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened to Anne, a girl he meets at a party and then suddenly goes missing. The premise of this book might be somewhat interesting, but Stearns takes his time getting to the point of the story (Beck doesn't even meet Anne until the end of chapter four), and even then he doesn't discover she's missing for another couple of chapters.
When Beck's lackluster investigation leads him to an obscure yoga studio, Stearns devotes two entire chapters to a strange, cult-like yoga class that sends Beck on what is meant to be a kind of spiritual journey but ends up being one chapter more than the reader needs or wants. Beck doesn't learn much from the yoga freaks and manages to escape their clutches only to be no further in his search for Anne.
Stearns does a good job at portraying the city of Baltimore in such a vivid way it's almost as if the city is a character itself, and his dialogue is quite humorous at times, and yes, there are some genuinely heartfelt moments as Beck searches for the missing Anne, but for me, the plot just wasn't strong enough to hold up the ambitious goals Stearns promises. Perhaps his second book will deliver a stronger punch.

At times I felt like I was drunk on a night out with Beck while reading this book, such is the rich and evocative writing. Drunk: A Novel is quirky and funny. I loved the opening scenes where Beck tries to remember what happened the night before after waking up and goes through the scenarios about how he came to be in possession on the money. "He wasn't in good enough shape to be a stripper." This book comes alive with the brilliant observation, original voice and engaging characters. The plot was almost secondary for me. Really enjoyed this book.

First off I want to say I’ve read some of the other reviews and I think it’s pretty hilarious the way some people are shocked there was so much drinking. Did you read the blurb? ... or the title?? Moving on.

Drunk is the story of a semi-functioning alcoholic with an identity crisis. He works at a grocery store, has essentially no meaningful relationships aside from his friend Yanni, and is just floating through life feeling disillusioned and meaningless. Then he meets Anne. She intrigues him - the author says he feels himself fall a little bit in love with her - though he seems to also feel that way about the bartender as well, so I don't think it's too serious. They do seem to click, though in their short conversation. Later on he finds that she has disappeared. He sets out on a semi-ridiculous search as probably the world's most unlucky detective.

I really liked Stearns’ writing. I thought he was funny and sarcastic. I thought that the things that happened to Beck (great name by the way) were funny and outrageous - though also at times completely gross. But that’s ok, this is life, as Beck might say. It’s like that sometimes.

My issue is with the ending. The end left me wanting... more. It was like he decided to wrap up the book with Beck still in the middle of his story. I liked the way things ended with the Anne mystery, but after that part of his story was over, I wanted him to find his direction, find peace with his mother (I liked her character)... something. Stearns’ ending might be more realistic? But it's a book and I wanted more hero in the antihero. Because I liked him until the end.

Anyways, I would read another book by this author because it was funny and I liked his writing style. So 3.5 drunk stars - rounded to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoyed this fun read. I understand other reviewers concerns about "too much drunkenness", however, I also feel that Ben Stearns showed the downsides of Beck living this lifestyle while balancing it with humor very well.
I found myself laughing, scratching my head at Beck's decisions, and just getting it. Maybe that means I can relate all too well - I am not sure!
I did think the search for Anne was a little much, borderline obsessive, however again, in the back of my mind I understood what was driving Beck as well.
Overall, I liked this book a lot and would confidently recommend it for those that like different, eclectic reads!
Thank you for the advance copy!

I quite enjoyed reading this story in the beginning. I found Beck and his antics quite funny. - especially when he begins his search for Anne which takes him to some wild and interesting places but this is where it sort of goes off the rails for me. And by this time I’m also a little tired of the drunkenness. But, if you read a book called Drunk, you’ve got to expect a little drinking. The author’s writing is humorous and had me laughing and smiling at times.
Thanks to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review

I started reading this without expectation, but knowing that anything described as having an "absurdist lens" is a bit outside of my typical preferred genre. I didn't love this novel, but managed to finish it.

"Drunk" reminded me of a funhouse-mirror version of "Candide" in which the overriding theme is "All is for the worst in the worst of all possible worlds." But while the subject is grim—an alcoholic has yet to hit his bottom, though what he has hit so far is pretty demoralizing and, at times, gross—the book is surprisingly entertaining. Much of that is due to the at-times breezy prose and the oddly charming narrator. I also loved how well Baltimore was evoked. The ending left me a bit flat, unfortunately. It was as if we were on a fun road trip to a cool destination, but when we arrived the destination was closed. Don't let that stop you from enjoying the ride, though.

Thank you, NetGalley and Wylder Dance Press, for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

PS: If you enjoy "Drunk," you'll probably also like "Fiend" by Peter Stenson.

I went into this book expecting a wacky mystery story and that is what I got at first, but then it just went off.

So, we have the main character Beck. Works a dead end job, doesn't feel too good about himself and then he meets Anne at a house party. And then she disappears.

This part of the story was entertaining and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Beck's search for Anne takes him to a weird yoga cult-like group in the woods, to Anne's house where the mystery thickens and to a LGBTQA+ social club. He meets with a few people who has contact with anne to try to find her. All this are good plot points, very enjoyable and fun!

But! Suddenly the characters goes "it's been two months, I'm sure she's dead" and I did not get this at all - the time passing I mean. I was sure all this took place days after Anne's disappearance. Another characters enters the story early and then exists it only to enter again in a weird story twist I did not enjoy at all.

All in all the first half of the story was very enjoyable, but the second half was just weird, felt rushed and honestly wasn't very good at all.